Мои ангелы (My Angels)
by Dancingqueen4Life
Summary: Sequel to Моя любовь (My Love). One-shots throughout the family's life together. ranging from happy, fluffy fun moments, to sad, scary not-so-fun moments. Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

**Sorry for starting this chapter off kind of sad-like. The idea just came to me, and wouldn't leave my head until I wrote it.**

**I sincerely hope I'm not offending anyone with this. I did my best to make it seem real, so if parts of it offend you, I'm very sorry.**

**I don't own any recognizable characters, sadly. They're all property of Marvel. Unrecognizable characters, however, I did make up.**

Her back was to him, and she refused to look at him, knowing that she'd probably punch him if she did.

"Ali."  
"Don't. Just, don't, Andrei."  
"Ali, Please!"  
"Please what?" She whipped her head around to look at her twin, annoyed that he wouldn't leave her alone.  
"Please let me explain!"  
"Explain what? How you embarrassed me? How you made Jake feel uncomfortable? Or how my night was completely ruined?"  
"I'm sorry!"  
"If you're sorry, then why'd you do it?"  
"I don't know, ok? I have no fucking clue why I did it."  
"That's not helping your case."  
"Look, I just… I don't like it, ok?"  
"Don't like what? That I have another boy I can rely on? You don't see me getting jealous over you and Mja!"  
"Yes!"  
"What?"  
"I don't like that you have him, ok? But not because I don't want you to be happy."  
"Then why?"  
"Because, well, because…"  
"Andrei. If you don't answer me, I swear, I will punch you."  
"I don't like it because he's doing my job!"

The words exploded out of her brother, and shocked Ali. And judging by the look on his face, they'd shocked Andrei as well.

_But it's true_ Andrei thought as he realized that he'd said exactly what he'd been anting to say since the day Ali had started dating Jacob.

"Your job?" Ali was confused. Jake didn't really do much of anything, except whatever she wanted to do.  
"Yes."  
"And what is that, exactly?"

Andrei forced his eyes back to hers, and she saw that his green eyes were sparkling with tears.

He swallowed thickly, and forced himself to speak, worried that he wouldn't get a chance after this.

"It's my job to protect you."  
"Andrei…"  
"Don't. Just let me get this out, ok?"  
Ali nodded, willing to do anything to rid her brother's eyes of the tears.

"It's my job to protect you. You're my little sister, no matter how many minutes separate us. I've always been the one to protect you. I was the one you went to after you had a nightmare. I was the one you played with all the time. It was me, always. I was the one you were terrified of losing when Alexis and Anja were born."  
"And now?..."  
"Now, it's him. He's the one you spend all your time with. This is the longest we've been together in months! We were inseparable, and now it's as though you can't get away from me fast enough. Папа told me that I always had to make sure that you were happy, and I have! Everyday, for as long as I can remember, I do whatever I can to make you happy. But now… now…"  
"Now I have Jake?"  
Andrei nodded "Yeah. I just… I'm going to be honest, and you can't get mad at me, because you wanted me to tell you. But honestly, I don't think he can do as good of a job as I can. I just know he'd going to do something to make you cry."  
Ali's face softened, and she took a step closer to her brother, her best friend, and the one person she would die for, no matter what. She reached out and wiped away the few tears that had leaked out of his eyes.

"He won't Andrei."  
Andrei shook his head. "You don't know that. I've known Mja forever, and I've made her cry numerous times. He's going to do something. And when he does, I'm going to punch him."  
"Andrei. He wont hurt me."  
Her brother gave her a look, but didn't say anything. They sat together in silence, taking in the panoramic view surrounding their house. Finally, Ali spoke.

"You know my favorite thing about Jake?"  
Andrei shook his head, urging her to continue.

"He makes me feel normal. He doesn't go to 'school' with us. He doesn't know I can kill him at least 50 different ways, or that I could easily be in the Olympics next year. I'm 15, Andrei. And already SHIELD could put me in the field, if mom and dad wouldn't kill them. But sometimes, I just want to be a normal fifteen year old girl. One whose parents aren't assassins. Whose entire set of siblings aren't comprised of twins. Who doesn't have a billionaire, a super-soldier, a demi-god, and a ginormous green rage monster as uncles. Jake doesn't know about any of that. So around him, I get to be _normal_."  
"I know, Ali. I'll back off, I promise. But seriously, if he ever hurts you, I'm punching him."  
Ali sighed, knowing Andrei wouldn't give up. They stood up together, and Andrei pulled her into his side, causing her to wince slightly.

"Ali?"  
"It's nothing; I strained something in my side while I was working out. I was on my way to take a shower and try to rub it out, when you dragged me up here."  
He gave her another look, but she chose to ignore it.

She kissed him quickly on the cheek, and made her way out into the main part of the library, and back through the house to her bedroom.

She grabbed a shirt and a pair of pajama bottoms, and made her way to the connected bathroom, where she started the shower.

She walked back into her bedroom and locked her door, before locking the bathroom door as well. Once she knew nobody could come in unannounced, she carefully pulled off her shirt, and stood staring at herself in the mirror.

Clad only in her workout shorts and sports bra, she could easily make out the massive bruise on her side.

In the exact shape of Jake's fist.

Her fingers traced it carefully, knowing that he'd have to be careful to hide it from her family. It hadn't been intentional, they'd gotten into a tickle fight, and he'd lashed out when she'd tickled him.

Except that that wasn't how it happened.

She'd made a stupid comment, and he'd punched her for it. It had happened before, but nothing this bad, she could usually pass it off as a training injury, but she knew Andrei was getting skeptical. She wasn't _that_ big of a klutz, after all.

She was lost in her contemplations, so that she didn't notice Anja standing behind her, not until her sister gasped loudly.

Ali whipped around, shocked to find her sister there, staring at the bruise, no less.

"Anja! What are you doing?"  
"Sorry! Мама wanted to tell you that your class with Steve has to be postponed, since he's on a mission, so she sent me to find you. I knocked, and when you didn't answer, I picked the locks…" Her voice trailed off, her eyes flicking back to the bruise. "Did Jake do that to you?"  
Ali didn't answer, knowing that Anja could always tell when she lied. Her silence was enough, Anja gasped again, and ran out of the room before Ali could stop her.

_Shit, now Andrei's going to find out._

Sure enough, Andrei came storming into her bathroom 2 minutes later, and pulled her out into her room, where she saw Anja giving her an apologetic look.

"Andrei, what are you doing?"  
"_We're_ going to tell Мама and Папа what happened."  
"No, Andrei, please!" Her voice broke, and he could tell she was close to tears.  
"No, Ali. You don't get to do that. You _lied_ to me. To _me!_ So you don't get to beg me not to tell them."  
"I didn't lie!"  
"Maybe not, but you didn't tell me! Me! I'm supposed to be your safe person, remember? The one person you can tell anything and everything to, and they won't judge you? Yeah, that's me!"

He pulled her from her bedroom, down the hall to their parent's room, where they found their parents looking very confused.

Until Natasha saw the bruise on her daughter's side.

"Ali! What the hell happened?"  
"Nothing." She mumbled.  
"Cut the crap, Aliya."

She shot Andrei a look, but still refused to answer.

"Aliya Nadja Barton-Romanoff. Answer your mother."  
She ignored her father, turning instead to her brother, yet again.

"Andrei, please." She was begging. She never begged for anything. If he wasn't so pissed at her, he would have felt bad. As it was, the best he could do was leave her alone with their mother. So he made their father leave with him, after Natasha shot him a look stating that she'd fill him in later.

Natasha led Ali to the bed, and went to get the medical kit so she could have a better look at the bruise.

Determining that it wasn't causing any internal damage, and would just be sore, she turned her attention back to finding out what had caused it. She knew the shape well, had had many in the same shape, but she desperately wanted for her daughter to have a different explanation.

"Ali, what happened?"  
Ali had been refusing to look at her mother's face, but the softness with which her mother spoke had her slowly meeting her eyes.

"He hit me."  
"Who?"  
"Jake." His name came out as a whisper.

Natasha wrapped her arms around her daughter, pulling her closer to her chest.

"Why didn't you tell us, Ali?"  
"It wasn't that bad."  
"Ali. Has this happened before?"  
She paused, before nodding slowly. "But it was never this bad! It was mostly an accident, he'd fling his hand out, and it'd hit me."  
I can tell just by looking at this that it wasn't an accident, which tells me the other times weren't either."  
Her daughter's silence was the only response.

"Why didn't you do anything, Ali? Why didn't you end it?"  
Her mother sounded so scared, so worried about her.

"I like being with him."  
"You like being used as a punching bag?"  
Ali flinched at her mother's words, but refused to let them affect her like Natasha wanted them to.

"No. When I'm with him, I get to pretend that my life is normal. Like my teachers aren't geniuses who also happen to be super heroes. I get to hang out with other kids my age, kids that don't speak 20 languages."  
"Sweetie, none of that is a good enough reason to let this happen to you. So here's what's going to happen, whether you like it or not. You're done with Jake, no more talking to him, no more hanging out, no more anything. Also, we _will_ send your brother out to talk to him, without parental supervision. And if, God forbid, this happens to you again, you _will_ tell us, or there will be hell to pay. Вы понимаете?"*  
"да."

"Good. JARVIS, please have Andrei get Ali some pajamas and have him bring them to my bedroom."  
"Right away, ma'am."  
"Now, you're going to shower, and spend the rest of the night in here, where I can make sure that you don't sneak out."  
Ali nodded, and moved towards her parents' bathroom. Natasha got a look at her face, and grabbed her daughter's arm to stop her progress. She forced Ali to look at her, and saw that her normally vibrant gray-blue eyes were dull and lifeless, and it pained her to realize that they hadn't sparkled in months.

"Ali, listen to me carefully. None of this is your fault. Ok? None of it. Вы понимаете?"  
Ali nodded, and looked towards the door that had just opened. Andrei walked in and threw the clothes at his sister, before turning and leaving, without so much as a word to her.

Natasha went to retrieve the clothes from the floor, and when she returned and handed her daughter the pajamas, she saw Ali staring at where Andrei had just been, tears sliding down her face.

"Ali…"  
"He hates me."  
"Ali. You know he doesn't."  
"Yes he does. I broke it. We trusted each other completely, and I didn't tell him one thing. And that one thing broke the trust we had. He hates me now. He can't even stand to look at me."  
The tears started coming faster, and Natasha pulled her daughter in for a hug.

"No he doesn't, Ali. He could never hate you. He's just mad at the situation."  
"The situation I made. Face it, Мама, he hates me now. But it's ok, it's my fault."  
Before Natasha could respond, Ali pulled away and entered the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

When she stepped out of the shower, Ali didn't feel any better. Her side ached, and her heart hurt worse. Her best friend couldn't even stand to look at her.  
She went on auto pilot as she pulled her clothes on, until she realized that the shirt Andrei had brought for her was one of his.  
Although they were twins, Ali was small, like their mother, while Andrei's training with Clint made him very muscular, and therefore bigger than Ali. This meant that his shirts dwarfed her. She'd stolen a few over the years to use as pajamas, but this wasn't one she'd taken. This was one he'd worn recently, judging by the fact that she could still smell him on it.

She gave a sad smile as she pulled it on, and made her way out of the bathroom, over to her parents' bed, where she curled up and turned _Beauty and the Beast _on. It was an old movie, true, but it always made her feel better.

She remembered when she was younger and she'd get scared every time she watched it. She loved it, but the beast was scary.

If Ali was being completely honest with herself, she'd admit that she was watching it because she hoped Andrei would come in and hold her while singing to her in Russian.

_But that won't happen, because he hates me._

Halfway through the movie, Alekz came in with a bowl of soup, and the girls watched the movie together while Ali ate. They didn't speak, but the Barton-Romanoff children didn't often speak to each other, at least not verbally.

With just one glance at her sister, Alekz could tell that Ali wasn't ready to talk, so she didn't push it, knowing that if Ali ever wanted to talk, she'd seek out one of her siblings.

When Ali finished eating, Alekz took the bowl from her and kissed her head, before leaving the room and closing the door.

Ali must have fallen asleep during the movie, because the next thing she knew, her father was carrying her down the hall to her bedroom.

"Спокойной ночи, мой маленький ангел"**  
"Спокойной ночи, папа"***

Ali fell asleep right away, and didn't wake up until she felt someone's arms around her. She tensed slightly, until the person spoke.

"I really hate you sometimes."  
"Andrei?"  
"Of course."  
"Why are you here?"  
"You need me. I knew you did earlier, but I was pissed, and had some things to take care of."  
Ali winced slightly, but decided not to ask.

"And now?"  
"Now I'm still fucking pissed, but I realized that I wasn't mad at you. I was hurt, because it felt like you didn't trust me."  
"But I do, I swear."  
"I know, Ali. But I realized that I was mad at _him_. And I saw how hurt you were when I threw the clothes at you, and I knew you needed me, whether you were ready to talk or not, but I wasn't ready."  
They were quiet for a moment, and Ali thought he'd fallen asleep.

"And I also heard that you watched _Beauty and the Beast_, so I figured you'd need convincing that the Beast wasn't living under your bed."  
Ali laughed with him, thinking back to a time when they were younger, when everything was easier.

She rolled over, so that her head was resting against his chest.

"Thank you, Andrei. And I promise, I'll tell you everything from now on."  
"Damn straight you will."  
They laughed together again, and Ali felt stupid for ever thinking that he hated her.

"I love you, Andrei."  
"I love you too, Ali."  
He kissed the top of her head, and they both fell asleep.

* * *

Two days later, she was in the park with Andrei, Mja, and Abbie, when Abbie pointed behind them.

"Isn't that Jake? What happened to him?!"  
Ali turned around, and saw that it was indeed Jake.

Or, it used to be Jake.

He had a black eye, what looked like a broken nose, and various bruises. He felt someone looking at him, and when he caught Ali's eye, he visibly paled, and when he saw Andrei next to her, looking at him, Jake stood up from the bench he'd been sitting on, and walked away.

Ali was slightly confused, and when she turned to look at Andrei, she saw a smile playing at his lips.

"Andrei, what did you do to him?"  
"Hmm?" Andrei was twirling a piece of Mja's hair around his fingers, staring intently at it.

"What did you do to Jake?"  
"Oh, we had a conversation."  
"About?"  
"About him staying away from you."  
"How did that lead to the broken nose? And black eye? And the other bruises covering his body?"  
"I don't know how he acquired those. Although as I was leaving, I did hear a noise that sounded like someone falling down stairs."  
"Andrei. Jake doesn't have stairs at his house."  
"He doesn't? Weird."  
Ali just shot her brother a look, but couldn't help the happy feeling that was making its way through her.

Her brother definitely did a wonderful job protecting her.

* * *

**So here's the first chapter of the continuation of Моя любовь (My Love). I hope you like it.  
Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**

**Russian:  
*Do you understand?  
**Goodnight my little Angel**

*****Goodnight, Daddy.**


	2. Chapter 2

Anastasiya Viktoriya Barton-Romanoff was terrified.

She had no clue where she was, no clue how long she'd been there, and she had absolutely no clue where her twin sister was.

All she did know was that her hands were bound-or they had been, but she _was_ Natasha Romanoff's daughter, so she'd broken out of the bonds as soon as she realized they were there.

She knew that she was sore, and there was dried blood on her forehead and she had a gash on her arm. She knew there was skin under her nails, skin she had to be careful with, since it could be used later. The skin also told her that although she had no memory of what happened, she'd put up a fight.

She knew that there were no broken bones, although her ankle felt sprained.

And she knew that this was definitely not something that happened to normal 7-year-olds.

* * *

Natasha and Clint were in a briefing room at SHIELD HQ, a rare occurrence since their transfer to consultants.

They looked around the familiar room, and tried to figure out what was going on. After about 15 minutes, Fury and Hill finally walked in, and judging by the looks on their faces, something serious was happening.

"Fury? Hill? What the fuck's going on?"  
Fury and Hill looked at each other, as if trying to decide how much to tell the assassins.

"Just spit it out." Natasha finally said, annoyed that they were taking too long.

"At noon today, a man walked into Avengers Tower, and walked out with Ana."  
Natasha heard Clint's intake of breath, along with Fury's continued details, what they knew about the person, where they suspected he'd taken her, things that would help find their daughter.

But Natasha couldn't focus on that. All she could see was Alekz.

No doubt Alekz knew what was going on. She had to know something was wrong with her sister. And Natasha knew that she'd be terrified, which meant that they didn't have time to listen to Fury talk.

Before she was completely aware of what she was doing, Natasha stood up and made her way to the door. It was only when Clint whispered her name that she turned around. She saw the question in all their eyes, but she looked directly at Clint when she spoke, desperately trying not to break down.

"Our daughter's missing, Clint. I'm going home to talk to her twin."  
She was cut off by Fury's comment, "We've already had agents speak to Alekz. You need to stay here, and learn what we know, so we can get your daughter back."  
Natasha was seething now, "With all due respect, _Director_, your agents don't know our children. They don't know how to calm one of them down if their twin isn't near them when they're scared. So I don't give a _fuck_ about your information. I'll tell you what I'm going to do: I'm going to go see Alekz and talk to her. I'm going to calm her down and see if she can help. Then I'm going to move heaven and Earth until I find my daughter. And I _will_ burry anyone who has the balls to get in my way. Do you understand?"  
Natasha didn't wait for a reply, choosing instead to storm out of the office and make her way to the parking garage.

Halfway to the garage, Clint finally caught up to her.

"Fury won't fire you. He gets that your upset, so let's go."  
Natasha didn't respond, but she reached her hand out to Clint's. Clint grabbed her hand and squeezed, before pulling her suddenly against the wall.

Natasha tensed at first, but relaxed when Clint pulled her into his chest and hugged her tightly.

"We'll find her Tash. You know we will."  
Natasha buried her face in Clint's chest as she nodded her head, trying to get some semblance of control over her emotions.

"I was worried about this, Clint. We have too many enemies."  
"I know, Tasha. But we'll get our daughter back, and we'll always protect them. Ana's tough and smart, and until we get there she'll be ok. She is your daughter after all. You know she'll be putting up a fight."  
Natasha nodded, and allowed herself another moment in Clint's arms before pulling away, and continuing to their car.

Once they got in the car, Natasha called Pepper, and told her that they were on their way to the tower. Pepper filled in Natasha on any information she thought might help, before adding that Alekz was currently sitting with Thor, and was seeming to be more herself. Natasha thanked her friend before hanging up and working with Clint on forming their plan.

They arrived at the tower in record time, thanks to Clint going well above the speed limit.

Without saying a word to anyone else in the tower, Natasha made a beeline towards Alekz. When Alekz saw her mother walking towards her, she jumped off the couch, and ran at her mother. Natasha leaned down slightly, and pulled her daughter off the ground and into her arms, cradling her to her chest.

Natasha locked eyes with Clint for a moment, communicating that she'd take care of Alekz while he filled the team in on the plan.

When Clint nodded, Natasha carried her daughter out of the room and to the elevator. They rode all the way to the top, emerging on the roof moments later.

Natasha carried Alekz over to the nest Tony had had put on the building, and finally released the little girl. Natasha sat down on the floor of the nest, indicating for Alekz to sit next to her. Ignoring her mother, Alekz crawled into her mother's lap, burrowing her face in her mom's shoulder.

They stayed like that for a long while, until Alekz finally spoke.

"Where is she, Мама?"  
"I don't know, ребенок. But we'll find her, ok?"  
Alekz nodded, and they returned to silence.

Natasha listened to her daughter's breathing relief washing through her that only one of her children had been taken.

"ребенок, do you know anything that can help us find her?"  
"No." A sob ripped through Alekz, causing Natasha's heart to ache.

"I keep trying to remember, Мама. But every time I think of something, it disappears."

Natasha nodded, familiar with the feeling.

"It's ok, Alekz. We'll get her back."

They sat on the roof until the sun had long since set, until night blanketed the city. Natasha stood up, and helped Alekz to her feet.

"Come on, Alekz. We need to go back inside."  
Natasha made her way back to the elevator, but turned around when Alekz didn't follow her.

"Alekz?"  
Her daughter looked at her, normally bright green eyes filled with fear and sadness.

"I don't want to sleep, Мама. I can't."  
Natasha walked back over to the girl, and pulled her off the ground again. Alekz locked her legs around her mother's waist, hiding her face in Natasha's neck.

"I'm scared to sleep, Мама. Whenever I close my eyes, I see her. And she's covered in blood, and I-I-I…"

Alekz couldn't finish her sentence, instead bursting into tears, her first of the night, surprisingly.

Natasha soothed her as she whispered words of comfort in Russian.

"It's ok, девочка*. You don't have to sleep. But I need you to stay with your brother and sisters, and keep them safe. Can you do that for me?"  
Alekz nodded, and Natasha made her way back to the elevator, and down to the floor where the kids were all staying with Pepper and Jane.

Natasha found her children sound asleep, and set Alekz down next to Alexis and Anja, before kissing Alekz's head and walking out.

The elevator ride back to the rest of the team seemed to take forever, and Natasha did her best to not picture the horrible things that could be happening to Ana.

When she walked into the living room, Clint greeted her with the five sweetest words she'd heard in a long time.

"We know where she is."

* * *

Ana was growing tired, but she forced herself to stay awake, not knowing if she had a concussion or not. Instead, she forced herself to mentally go through every gymnastics routine she'd ever had. When that was done, she recited Alekz's, then Ali's, then Andrei's workout regimen their dad had just created for him, since he'd mainly be using a bow.

As the hours ticked by, Ana found it harder and harder to stay awake, wondering if her parents were ever going to find her. There were no windows in her room, so she had no way of knowing what time of day it was, or how many days she'd been there. Wherever 'there' was.

Just as she was losing her battle against sleep, she heard a new noise in the corridor outside the room, causing her brain to become more alert, sleep pushed to the furthest corner of her mind.

She made her way to the corner farthest away from the door, hiding in the shadows, hoping that her captors weren't coming for a visit.

Just when she was beginning to wonder if she'd imagined the noise, the door to the room was thrown open, and a man was standing in the doorway.

She saw him look around, and pressed herself even further into the shadows.

Finally, he spoke.

"She's not in here."

Before she could register the voice, another, much more familiar voice was answering.

"What the fuck do you mean she's not here! She has to be."  
Ana immediately recognized the voice, just as the woman let out a strangled sob.

"Мама?"  
Ana carefully stepped out of the shadows, toward the voice that could only belong to her mother.

Natasha, who'd fallen to the ground, head in her hands, snapped her head up and looked in the direction of the voice.

"Ana? Девочка, where are you?"  
Ana walked closer to her mother, until she was no longer in the shadows.

"Мама?"  
"Ana!"  
Natasha jumped up, and pulled Ana to her, hugging her tightly.

"О, моя девочка. Я думал, что мы потеряли тебя. Мне очень жаль, дорогая. Папа и я никогда не позволю ничего подобного случиться с вами снова, я обещаю."*

Ana squeezed her mother back as tightly as she could. She looked over her mother's shoulder, and saw her father standing in the hallway.

"Папа!" She screamed, and ran at Clint, who scooped her into a hug, holding her tightly to his chest.

Ana decided at that moment that there was no safer place than in her parents' arms.

Well, except maybe next to Alekz.

It was then that Ana seemed to notice a very important person that was missing from this reunion.

"Where's Alekz?"  
"She'd at the tower with everyone else. We'll go back as soon as we get you looked at." Clint answered.  
"No."  
"Ana, honey, we need to make sure you're ok." Natasha said softly.  
"I am. Only cuts and bruises and a small sprain. But no doctors. Not until I see Alekz."

Her parents finally agreed, and together they made their way back to the quinjet, where they were greeted by Steve, whom Ana realized the first voice had belonged to.

They were about to board the jet when Ana heard someone screaming her name. When she turned around, she saw Alekz running towards her.

"Alekz!"  
Ana ran away from her parents and towards her sister, the girls nearly crashing into each other as they hugged tightly, refusing to let the other go.

"I'm so sorry, Ana. I tried to stop them, but they hit my head."  
Ana pulled back from her sister slightly, and saw tears trickling down Alekz's cheeks. Ana leaned in, and kissed her sister's cheek.

"It's ok, Alekz. You tried."  
They hugged again, and it was only then that Ana allowed herself to cry, now that she knew she was going home, and that her twin was ok.

Natasha and Clint knew better than to interrupt their eldest daughters, it had always been true that Natasha and Clint weren't the best when dealing with emotions, and it was clear that all Ana needed was to be able to hug Alekz.

With Alekz by her side, Ana allowed the medical team to stich up her cuts and wrap her ankle, and finally the family was on their way back to the tower.

Once they arrived back, everyone hugged Ana, before the kids were instructed to go back to sleep. The Avengers, minus Clint and Natasha, went to SHIELD to interrogate the man behind the kidnapping, an old enemy of Natasha and Clint's.

When Clint and Natasha finally went to bed, they peeked in to check on Ana, and found her, for the first time in five years, asleep in her sister's arms.

* * *

The weeks and months after the kidnapping saw everything going back to normal. There were minute changes though. Alekz and Ana always had to know where the other was, and they refused to be apart for extended periods of time.

Ana woke up with the occasional nightmare, but Alekz was always there to comfort her when she woke up. They nightmares slowly began to fade, as Ana trained hard to make herself stronger, so that the next time she'd be able to take them down.

And Alekz trained with her, determined to never again let her sister go through anything that horrible alone.

* * *

**Yay for chapter two!**

**Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**

**Russian  
*Baby girl  
**** **Oh, my baby girl. I thought we lost you. I'm so sorry, sweetie. Daddy and I will never let anything like this happen to you again, I promise.**


	3. Chapter 3

To say that Clint and Natasha's children were excited for their annual summer vacation to their safe house in Alaska was an understatement.  
The children were absolutely ecstatic, bouncing off the walls with excitement.

But their excitement stemmed from different reasons:  
Ana and Alekz were excited because summers in Alaska meant intensive gymnastics training, they'd be able to do the same amount of training in that one month period than they usually did in 6 months at home. And they loved it.  
Andrei and Ali were excited to be able to spend more time with their bows and guns, which they'd finally been able to start using. Ali still did gymnastics, but she loved being able to stand next to her brother and work on target practice.  
Alexis and Anja were excited to be able to run around outside, and they'd managed to convince themselves that there would be snow.

Even Clint was having trouble containing his excitement. He absolutely loved Alaska. He loved that it was cold, but not freezing. He loved the scenery. But most of all, he loved what being that close to Russia did to Natasha. She always loosened up slightly, taking comfort in the fact that her true home wasn't quite as far away. Her accent weaved its way back into her speech, making Clint relive the days when they'd first met.

And although she didn't show it, Natasha was excited to go to Alaska as well. She felt better knowing that Russia was just miles away, but at the same time, it hurt more knowing that it was so close, and she couldn't visit. She also loved that the Alaska house was always stocked with good Russian vodka.

But trying to pack for two 5-year-olds, two 9-year-olds, and two 10-year-olds for a month long vacation in Alaska wasn't easy. But there was Natasha, helping her kids pack.

The main issue was that Anja and Alexis wanted to take more toys than clothes. Natasha and Clint had always packed for them in the previous years, but this year they'd decided that their youngest children could help them pack.

"Lexie, hunny. If you bring anymore toys, you won't have room for any clothes!"  
"But, Мама, I need them!"  
"Lexie, no one needs that many toys."  
Lexie turned her puppy dog eyes on her father, but Clint refused to change his mind, instead sending her back to put the toys away.

Clint chuckled as he sat next to his wife on the floor, and began helping her fold their children's clothes.

"What are you laughing at, hotshot?"  
"Just how adorable our children are."  
Natasha shot him a look, but made no further comment.

When they'd finished folding all the clothes that had been set aside already, Clint went to get the suitcases they'd be taking. He brought them over to Natasha, and together they began putting each kid's clothes in their respective suitcases.

When they finished packing, Natasha looked at the clock and saw that it was about time for the family to eat. With just one look to Clint, she convinced him to figure something out for dinner. He huffed in fake annoyance, before standing up and kissing Natasha's head.

While Clint took care of feeding the 8 of them, Natasha went in search of her eldest daughters, making sure that they had packed a bag with all their training equipment.

When she walked into Ana's room, she found both girls sitting on the floor, surrounded by leos.

"What the hell happened in here?"  
Alekz looked up at her mother's question, and gave her a small smile.

"We can't decide which ones to take, and we don't have room to take them all."  
"And you don't need them all. You really only need 2 or 3, since you wear regular workout clothes most of the time."  
Ana shrugged, the only sign either of them gave to acknowledge that they'd heard her.

Natasha sighed. "Just don't forget your grips. I'm not putting up with that again."  
Ana's head snapped up, and at the same time, both of the girls jumped up, and Alekz ran out of the room, while Ana started shoving things aside, until she found her grips. Alekz returned moments later, holding her grips in her hands. Immediately, both girls placed them in their duffle bags, where they already had massive amount of workout clothes.

Natasha shook her head, but couldn't help the smile that spread across her face as she watched them pack. Eventually though, she'd had enough, and had walked into Ana's room, and selected 6 random leos, throwing them into the duffle bags. Then she took the bags, zipped them, and left the room with them, placing them by the suitcases in the entryway.

When she poked her head into the kitchen to check Clint's progress on dinner, she was greeted with the scent of waffles.

It was no secret that Natasha had no patience for American pancakes. But waffles were an entirely different story. An entirely different, completely, deliciously wonderful story.

Natasha found the rest of her children, and they all made their way to the kitchen to eat the dinner Clint had made. Breakfast for dinner was always an easy thing to do, since getting pizza every night got annoying.

Once everyone had eaten, Clint cleaned up the kitchen while Natasha took Lexie and Anja upstairs for a bath, while the rest of the kids finished the last of the homework their teachers had given them.

The word teachers may have been a bit of a stretch, since all the Avenger's children were homeschooled, and by the Avengers, no less. Bruce and Jane taught science, Tony taught math, Pepper taught English, Steve and Maria taught history, Clint and Natasha taught foreign languages, whichever language the kids decided they wanted to learn that year.

Once Anja and Lexie finished their baths, Ana, Alekz, Andrei, and Ali took turns showering quickly, before everyone headed off to bed early. They had an early flight, and everyone wanted to get as much sleep as possible.

* * *

The next morning saw the family at the private airport before dawn, loading the baggage on the plane Tony let them use. The nice thing about having one of their friends own a plane was that they didn't have to worry about airline rules, like the number of bags they had.

Just as everyone was getting on the plane, a car pulled up, and Pepper got out, having come to see them off.

Of all their friends, Pepper was the only one to know the exact location of the safe house, and that was just in case something happened. She'd been sworn to secrecy by Clint and Natasha, something that was scary enough to render Tony's attempts to find out the location futile.

Pepper gave everyone a hug, before taking the homework the kids shoved at her, telling them she'd give it to the proper teachers.

The family boarded the plane, each person taking the seat that had been claimed as theirs.

Ana and Alekz shared a table that seated 2, immediately to the right of the door. Andrei and Ali took an identical table across the isle from them, while Lexie and Anja sat at another table for two, directly across from Clint and Natasha. The plane also had a bathroom and a kitchen, as well as numerous tvs, and a couch.

Everyone got settled in, before taking up their normal activities. Anja and Lexie colored, Andrei and Ali looked out the window, until one of them got tired, at which point they'd move to the couch, where Andrei would hold Ali while one or both of them slept. Ana worked on the stack of crossword puzzles Bruce had given her, while Alekz would draw random pictures. Their parents just stared at each other, taking breaks to occasionally glance around at their kids.

* * *

The flight was fairly smooth, and they landed at the airport some hours later, picking up the car they left at the airport when they weren't in Alaska, and driving to the safe house.

Once they arrived, everyone split up while they unpacked. The house wasn't as large as their house in New York, but it was still fairly big. The kitchen was slightly smaller, and there was no formal dining room. There was also no game room, but the living room made up for it.

But everyone had their own room and an attached bathroom, and taking up half the bottom floor was a gymnastics/workout center. There was a door in the workout area that leads to the gun range, a smaller room, but one that was no less sophisticated.

Once they'd unpacked, Ana and Alekz changed into workout clothes, and met their mother in the gymnastics center, while their siblings watched a movie with Clint.

They started off easy, stretching to loosen their muscles, before making their way over to the uneven bars, where they hung upside down from the higher bar, where they did sit-ups for what felt like hours, but was really only about 45 minutes. Then Natasha had them warm up tricks across the floor, having them repeat skills over and over until she was confident they were flawless, and all wobbles had been eradicated, a process that could take at least 2 hours, more if Natasha was in a weird mood.

When they were done with their warm-up, they'd finally move on to the apparatuses. In the gym, there were two beams and two vault tables, along with one set of bars and one floor space. Bars were especially hard, requiring massive arm strength, so each girl got a break while the other one worked, and there wasn't enough space for two floor areas.

They began with the beam, each girl mounting it in her own way. Ana preferred starting in the middle, and doing a press-up to mount, while Alekz liked starting at the end, and doing a variation of a tumbleweed to get to the middle. Once Natasha had them practice their mounts multiple times, often having each girl hold her position, Ana's arms supporting her weight as her toes came close to touching the beam, and Alekz's chin digging into the beam as she squeezed her abs, trying to keep herself from falling backwards or rolling forward.

Once Natasha was satisfied with the mounts, they had to run their beam routines for at least an hour, with Natasha constantly calling out corrections in various languages.

When they were finally done with the beam, they were given a 15 minute rest, before them moved over to the vault. There, each girl practiced her vaults for an hour. Their vaults were extremely difficult for their age, and often times they fell. But since they were their parents' children, they brushed it off, and started working again. It was an unspoken rule in their family that if you fell, or had a minor injury, you brushed it off and continued working, and had it checked out at the end. If it was serious though, you stopped immediately.

Once, Ana had broken her wrist when she messed up a vault, but had ignored the pain, opting instead to vault again. Natasha saw her daughter get up from where she'd fallen forward in her landing, and assumed everything was ok. But when Ana's hands hit the vaulting table the next time through, her wrist gave out, and Ana fell, hitting her head on the table. In the end, Ana had ended up with a broken wrist which meant to gym for 2 months, at least, a concussion, and she'd gotten a major lecture from her parents.

Once Natasha deemed their vaults fit, she had Ana start on the bars, while Alekz took a water break and stretched.

Alekz watched as their mother helped Ana with her giants, something that had been tricky for Ana to get. But by the time they switched places, Alekz could tell they'd gotten better.

Alekz had picked up giants fairly easily, and was currently working on transitioning from one bar to another, mainly trying to stay straight and not miss the bar she was jumping to.

After a while, both girls were sore, and were dreading having to work on floor routines next, knowing they still had hours to go.  
Trying to distract Natasha, if only for a moment, Ana made her way over to where they kept the chalk, and scooped up a handful. She then snuck behind her mother, who was focusing intently on Alekz, and dumped the chalk on her head.

Alekz, who'd just dismounted in a back layout, looked over and saw Ana behind their mother, giggling, and Alekz had to work hard to not laugh at her mother's expression.

Natasha's eyes were closed, scrunched tight to avoid getting chalk in them. Her head was covered in white, so that parts of her hair almost blended in with her skin.

Ana locked eyes wit Alekz, and Alekz burst out laughing. The girls bent forward slightly, trying to catch their breath as they laughed, allowing Natasha to sneak up on Alekz and dump some chalk on the girl's head.

"Hey! Ana's the one who dumped it on you!"  
"But you laughed."  
Alekz made her way over to the chalk, and threw some at Ana, causing all three girls to laugh with each other.

When Clint entered the gym to let them know that dinner was ready, he found them rolling around on the floor, covered in chalk.

"Do I even want to know."  
The girls were all quiet for a moment, before the laughing commenced again, and Natasha struggled to let her husband know what had happened.

"Chalk fight." She managed to get out between giggles, causing a smile to appear on Clint's face.  
"Well, get cleaned up, and come eat."

They nodded, and cleaned themselves up the best they could.

After they finished dinner, they showered, getting out as much chalk as they could.

By the time Natasha and Clint went to bed that night, she was still having problems not laughing, a sure sign that she was relaxing.

As they lay together in their bed, Natasha thought back to the chalk fight and started laughing again.

"What am I going to do with you, Tasha?"  
"I have no clue, Clint. What do you want to do with me?"  
"I can think of a couple of things we could do." He responded suggestively.  
"Oh? Care to elaborate?"  
"How bout I show you?"  
"Sounds good." Natasha mumbled before pulling Clint in for a kiss, urging Clint to show her _exactly_ what ideas he had.

**And that, my lovelies, is chapter 3!**

**Note: I'm not a gymnast, just a dancer, so I don't know if the workout times are consistent with real gym training times. Also, while I try to use proper terminology for the gymnastics bits, there are some things that I only know the name of in dance terms, or at least what we call them at my studio, like tumbleweeds. For a good example of one, go to youtube, and look up 'SYTYCD my chick bad'. The girl does a couple.**

**Reviews are wonderful. You should write one! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry it's taken me so long to update this! I got distracted with school and my other stories. But I'm back, and here's a new chapter to make up for it!**

* * *

Alexis Zaria Barton-Romanoff and Anja Kira Barton-Romanoff were nothing like your stereotypical identical twins. While they looked the exact same-mirror images of each other in fact- and got along well, they really didn't act like normal identical twins. Although, considering that they were being compared to their oldest sisters, who'd already won Olympic medals in gymnastics, normal was the operative word.

Sure, Lexie and Anja got along great, but never for more than an hour or so at a time. Perhaps it was because everyone expected them to be like Alekz and Ana, and Andrei and Ali for that matter, and they were just rebelling. Or maybe it was because, for twins, they were kind of weird. Case in point, they didn't have the same birthday. Now, true, there are some twins born on different days. But in all Clint and Natasha's days, and the rest of the teams' as well, they'd never heard of twins born in different _years._ Until Lexie and Anja had come along.

Alexis Zaria Barton-Romanoff was born at 11:58 pm on New Year's Eve. Her sister, Anja Kira Barton-Romanoff followed 4 minutes later at 12:02 am, on New Year's Day.

But that wasn't the reason they fought all the time. If anything, they thought it was cool, and told anyone they met about it.

The real reason they fought all the time was because Lexie was crazy overprotective of Anja. It was based in logic though.

Natasha had gone into labor on time, but when Anja was born, the doctors had discovered that Lexie had taken much of the nutrition that was supposed to go to Anja. Natasha and Clint didn't even think of being annoyed that the doctors had missed something like this, when they could have seen it and done something. They were only worried about their baby. The doctors said she was lucky though, her brain, heart, and lungs were all developed, just a little small. So they kept her in the hospital for a few months, just watching over her. Years later, it was nearly impossible to tell, except that Anja was smaller than her sister, but barely, and that she also had asthma, but no one really knew if that was because of what had happened.

What they did know, was that Anja was easily the strongest of all the Barton-Romanoff children. In her months of observation, she'd been poked and prodded multiple times, and had been close to death on one very scary occasion, when she'd managed to get sick. But she'd made it clear that she wasn't going down without a fight. So she'd grown up fighting tooth and nail, catching up to where her sister, and other children their age, were by the time she was 8 months old.

And Lexie _still_ treated her like she was going to fall apart.

* * *

Their biggest fight happened some months after they'd turned 13. It was a pleasant day in mid-May, and while Clint and Natasha had been called away on a very important mission, their children were staying with Pepper and Tony and their kids at the Tower.

Anja was sitting in their father's nest, looking over the city when she heard a voice behind her.

"Whatcha doing, Birdie?"  
It was the nickname her family had given her, since it fit her so well. She was a carbon copy of her father, except that she was a girl. Her hair was the same color, and so were her eyes. And she'd picked up his habit of being as high up as possible, so much so that it had become an unconscious part of her personality.

"Watching. Why?"  
"Just wondering. Pepper says we can go to the park, if you want."  
Anja shrugged again. "Sure."  
Lexie smiled and waited for Anja to stand up. "Just let me get my stuff, ok?"  
Lexie nodded once, and the girls headed inside. Anja went to the couch and grabbed her sketchbook and a pencil, and placed them into her backpack, before following Lexie to the elevator and out of the building.

They arrived in the park a few minutes later, and while Lexie went to the swings, Anja climbed into her favorite tree, and began drawing.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice her sister was off the swings until she heard voices beneath her.

"So, what's your name?"  
"I'm Kimberly."  
"Marissa."  
"I'm Lexie, and that," she pointed up into the tree, where Anja had finally seen her sister talking to two girls, "is my twin Anja."  
"Hi." One of the girls called up. Anja nodded in response. She was about to return to her picture, when Lexie called up to her again.  
"Birdie, come on down and introduce yourself!"

Anja sighed and rolled her eyes, but complied nonetheless. She vaguely heard one of the girls laughing at the nickname, but chose to ignore it. She knew other people would think it was weird, but she didn't care. Her family meant it as a term of endearment.

She dropped gracefully from the last branch and landed inches from Lexie's right side, hiding her smirk when the other girls flinched.

"Birdie, this is Kimberly, and her friend Marissa."  
"Hi."  
"You three play nice. I have to call someone."  
Anja glared at her sister as she walked away.

"So… you guys are sisters?" Kimberly's question pulled her back to the conversation she'd rather not be in.  
"Twins, actually."  
"That's cool."  
"Yup."  
"What school do you guys go to?"  
"We don't. We're homeschooled."  
"Oh. Any other siblings."  
Anja sighed. "Yes. 3 sisters, 1 brother."  
"I have 2 brothers. No sisters." Marissa put in.  
"I have a sister." Kimberly added.

Anja just nodded. She turned and saw Lexie making her way back to them, and had to fight down the sigh of relief threatening to make its way out.

"Sorry!" Lexie chirped. "I just called my aunt, and she said it was ok if you guys came over for a little bit. Speaking of which," Lexie continued, turning to face her sister, "she's royally pissed at you."  
"What? Why?"  
"Guess what you left on the counter."  
"Oh shit!"  
"Yup. Don't use that language around her, though."  
"I've got to go."  
"You're not going to run back, are you?"  
"Yes, I am."  
"Anja, it's not that important."  
Anja just shot her sister a look, telling her to back off.  
"Fine. Do you at least have your inhaler?"  
Anja swung her backpack around to dig through it. "Fuck! I left it on the roof!"  
Lexie reached into her pocket and pulled it out. "Yeah, you did. So I grabbed it for you."

Anja grabbed the medicine, shook it, and inhaled the proper dosage. When she exhaled, she shot a quick smile to her sister, before turning and running out of the park.

"Is she always that weird?"  
Kimberly's question caused Lexie to whip her head around to glare at her.

"Watch it." She hissed.

Kimberly did her best not to look shocked, and wisely dropped the question. Lexie shot her another look, before leading the girls out of the park and to the Tower.

When they arrived, Lexie smirked internally as Kimberly and Marissa figured out just who Lexie and Anja were.

Lexie lead them to the elevator and up to the common floor. When she stepped out, she found Pepper in the kitchen, but no one else was anywhere to be found.

"Hi, Pepper!"  
Pepper looked up, and smiled at her niece. "Hi."  
"Where is everybody?"  
"Well, Alekz, Ana, and Livvy are cramming for their finals coming up, since they're now terrified they won't graduate. Andrei, Ali, Mja, and Abbie are in Mja's room watching movies. Although I'm sure Andrei and Mja are making out, but don't tell your parents I said that. Clara and Josh are off somewhere, undoubtedly making out as well, but if they're in her room, I swear I'll go in and ban him from the tower, even if he's Thor's son. And Justin and Jackson are in their room playing video games."  
Lexie smiled at Pepper's answer. Andrei and Mja had been dating for years, and everyone figured they'd end up married eventually. And Clara and Josh had been dating for a little over a year, and both of them knew that Clara's room was off limits to them.

"What about Birdie?"  
"She came running in here a few minutes ago, huffing and puffing and clutching her inhaler."  
"I made her take it before she ran from the park."  
"I figured as much. She started apologizing and grabbed her stuff off the table. I think she went to her room or the roof."  
"Thanks, Pepper!"  
Pepper nodded, and Lexie lead Kimberly and Marissa into the living room.

"What do you guys want to watch?"  
"Umm, what movies do you have?"  
"All of them."  
"Can we watch Stick It?"  
"Yeah. JARVIS, please start Stick It. It would also be good to tell Ana and Alekz to avoid the living room if at all possible."  
"Will do, Miss. Lexie."  
"Whoa, what was that?"  
"What? Oh, JARVIS?"  
"Umm, yeah?"  
"My Uncle built him."  
As soon as she finished talking, the movie started.

A quarter of the way through the movie, Andrei came into the room, presumably on his way to the kitchen for food. When he saw Lexie sitting on the couch, he changed courses, and snuck up behind her.

"You let Ana and Alekz know not to come in here?"  
"Yup."  
"Where's Birdie?"  
"Dunno. She left her stuff on the table before we left, and Pepper found out."  
"Ouch."  
"Yeah. So she ran back here. Pepper said she grabbed it, but she hasn't seen her since."  
"She ok?"  
"She was last I knew. She's in a little bit of a funk, but when isn't she?"  
"Alexis." Andrei's tone told Lexie to drop the attitude.  
"Sorry, Она просто прослушивает меня иногда." _'She just bugs me sometimes.'  
_"I know. Did you at least make sure she's ok?"  
"I helped reprogram JARVIS to tell me if she's not."  
"Ok."

Andrei made his way into the kitchen, and reemerged moments later, arms full of food. He kissed Lexie's head as he passed.

"What are the girls going to eat?"  
"Shut it, Lex."  
Lexie chuckled to herself as her brother left.

"That your brother?"  
"Yeah. He's 17."  
They went back to the movie after that. When they were done, Pirates of the Caribbean was turned on.

Finally, around 8 that night, Kimberly and Marissa decided to leave. When they'd left, Lexie decided to find her sister.

* * *

Anja was sitting in the nest again. It was her favorite pace to be, especially when she was pissed.

"Hey, Birdie."  
"Shut up, Lexie."  
"Whoa, what's wrong with you?"  
"I don't know. It might have something to do with you inviting people we don't know back to the Tower. Or maybe it's the fact that I ran _all the way here_ from the park and could barely breathe, and when JARVIS told me you'd gotten home, I expected you to come check to make sure I was still alive, but you didn't show up."  
"You hate when I di that!"  
"It doesn't mean you shouldn't!"  
"Whatever. I honestly can't deal with you when you get like this."  
"Glad to know I'm so God dammed annoying."  
"That's not what I said!"  
"But it's what you meant!"  
"Will you just shut up? Honestly! Sometimes I think my life would be easier if I didn't have you as my twin."  
Anja couldn't respond. In all their years of fighting, neither of them had ever said they wished the other didn't exist. They accepted the fact that while they didn't get along, their twin was there for them, regardless of any past feuds.

Instead, Anja stood up and walked by Lexie, shoving her slightly with her shoulder. Before she walked back inside, she responded.

"Why don't you go back to your friends, then? Because clearly they're more important to you than I am." She bit out, close to tears.

Lexie had barely registered that Anja had responded, before the door slammed shut. She rushed to the door and yanked it open, but the hallway was empty, and Lexie knew that if Anja wasn't in the hallway, Lexie wouldn't be able to find her for a few more days, at least.

Sighing, Lexie made her way back out onto the roof and sat in the nest, hating herself more with each passing minute.

* * *

Anja ran down the hallway to the stairs, and rushed down the 8 flights of stairs until she emerged on the floor Ana and Alekz were staying on. She paused for a moment to listen and figure out where they were, before running toward one of the bedrooms.

She shoved open the door, nearly scaring her sisters and cousin. Ana looked up and saw her littlest sister standing in the doorway, tears streaming down her face.

"Birdie?" She whispered.

Anja didn't reply, instead, she ran at Ana and launched herself into her sister's arms and continued crying. Ana rubbed circles on Anja's back, and with one look told Alekz that she was going to take care of their sister, and that she might be spending the night with Anja. Alekz nodded, and Livvy gestured for Ana to leave.

Ana adjusted her hold on Anja so she could stand up. When she stood, Ana lifted Anja, and the 13-year-old wrapped her legs around Ana's waist.

Ana carried her sister from the room and down the hallway. "Do you want to go to the roof, Birdie?"  
"No. That's where she is."  
Ana nodded, not having to ask who 'she' was. So they changed courses, and began making their way to a little alcove that only they and Tony knew about. There was a door in one of the stairwells that claimed caution be used when entering. Anja had found it one day while having a fight with Lexie, and Ana had followed her in. Tony had been in there, but upon seeing his nieces, he left, and a week later they came across the door again, only to see that it wasn't advertising caution for electrical reasons, but because that spot now belonged to Ana and Anja.

When they entered, they made their way down the short hall to where a large window was, complete with window seats.

Ana sat down, and Anja finally loosened her hold. When she pulled back, Ana saw that her sister was still crying.

"What happened, Birdie? I've never seen you so torn up about a fight with her."  
Anja knew none of it would make much sense unless she started at the beginning. So she went back to that morning, and began her story.

20 minutes later, Anja finished, having just told Ana everything she could remember.

"She said she wished she wasn't a twin, or at least not mine. So I left."  
Ana nodded, and pulled Anja back into her lap. For as tough as Anja was, she was extremely sensitive.

"Why did she say it, Ana?"  
"I don't know, Birdie."  
"I figured she thought along those lines, but I never thought she'd tell me."  
"Why does it upset you so much? Alekz and I tell each other something like that almost every week."  
"But you don't mean it. And even if you did, it's different."  
"How do you figure?"  
"Well, I don't really fit in. I mean, you and Alekz are Olympic gymnasts, Ali and Andrei are Olympic archers. She and I are just dancers."  
"But you're both _amazing_."  
"That's not the point. We do a little of everything, so we only kind of belong. But even at dance, she can actually talk to the other girls, and I can't."  
"Yes you can. You're just too shy."  
"Still. She fits in there. I just float around. You guys all match."  
"Ok, you've lost me."  
Anja smiled slightly. "You and Alekz, hell, even Andrei and Ali, match."  
"I'm still confused."  
"You match each other. You and Alekz are both gymnasts, and you're both friendly. Andrei and Ali are both archers, and they're both kind of shy. But she and I, we don't match. Sure, we look the same, and we're both dancers, but that's it. She's friendly, and I'm really shy. People love her, and they avoid me."  
Ana sighed. "People love you too."  
"I know. But only if they spend time with me, and a lot of people don't."

They fell into silence. Ana knew that Anja needed to get the self-pity out there, just to get it off her chest, so she let her. It was a miracle that Anja was talking this much to her, even if they were the closest, not counting their twins.

Finally, Anja broke the silence.

"Do you think she meant it, Ana? Do you think she really wishes we weren't twins?"  
"I don't know. From what I know about her, I'd say no, she didn't mean it. That she was just upset with you."  
"But?"  
"But, I can't help wondering if you didn't force her to say it."  
"What do you mean?"  
"I mean, in her eyes, you didn't try. She made two new friends, and after you returned from the park, you didn't try to interact with them."  
"But she knows I don't do things like that. She knows she's my buffer."  
"And so do I. But it's easy to forget your job sometimes, Birdie."  
"What do I do, Ana?"  
"I can't tell you that."  
"I hate when you do this."  
Ana smiled. "I know."  
They returned to silence, and eventually Anja fell asleep. Ana carefully carried her to the room she was sharing with Alekz, and climbed into bed with her, knowing Anja would feel even worse if she woke up alone.

* * *

Lexie finally decided to go inside. She had no idea what time it was, or how long she'd been sitting on the roof. At some point, although she couldn't tell you when, she'd begun crying. She hadn't really meant what she said, it was just one of those things that spilled out that you regretted for the rest of your life.

As she made her way back to the room she'd been staying in with Anja, Lexie found herself hoping her sister had gotten over it, and had gone to bed. But when she entered the room, and JARVIS automatically turned on the lights, she realized that hadn't happened.

Lexie numbly got into her pajamas, and crawled under the covers of the bed Anja had been sleeping in. She instructed JARVIS to turn off the lights, and proceeded to cry herself to sleep, all the while wishing she could take back what she'd said.

* * *

The next few days, Anja avoided Lexie. She didn't eat with everybody; she didn't go anywhere she might find her twin. She spent the majority of her time in the hidden alcove; occasionally catching herself wondering what Lexie was doing, only to be reminded of her harsh words.

Lexie, for her part, was trying to give Anja space. She didn't eat with everyone, because she thought Anja would be there. And since Lexie knew she'd been wrong, she figured Anja should be able to act as if nothing was going on. So Lexie spent most of her time at the park with Kimberly and Marissa, who seemed to enjoy spending time there.

At the end of the week, Natasha and Clint returned home. Before they could even enter the tower from the helipad Tony had had put in, Ana was blocking their entrance.

"Warning. Lexie and Anja got into a nasty fight."  
"That's nothing new, Ana." Clint responded.  
"It is this time. It happened a few days ago, and they still haven't seen each other."  
"What? What the hell happened?"

Ana told her parents what she knew, emphasizing that it was only from Anja's point of view, since she hadn't been able to talk to Lexie.

Natasha and Clint nodded when Ana finished her story, but neither looked terribly surprised. Instead, they headed inside, where they asked JARVIS to tell their kids to pack, since they were going home that night.

An hour later, Ana, Alekz, Andrei, Ali, and Anja were standing in the main living room with their parents, waiting for Lexie to get home. She arrived a few minutes later, along with Kimberly and Marissa.

"Мама! Папа!"  
"Hi, Lex. Go get packed, we're going back home tonight."  
"Oh. Kimberly invited me to her house for the night. I didn't think you'd be home until tomorrow."  
Natasha looked at Clint, who shrugged. "Alright. Go get packed. Pack one bag for tomorrow, and the rest in another, and we'll take it home for you. And make sure you're back here at 10:30 tomorrow morning, so you can do you school work."  
Lexie nodded, and went to pack. The rest of the kids dispersed for a moment, leaving Kimberly and Marissa alone in the room, except for Anja, who'd climbed into the rafters as soon as Lexie had entered the room.

"Well, look like someone finally came for her freak sister."  
"I guess. All the rest of her siblings look so cool, and her brother is really cute. But 'Birdie' was just weird."  
"I know, Kimmy. I think she has issues."  
"Well, they all have issues, clearly. But can you imagine what becoming friends with at least one of them will do for us?"  
"I know, right! We'll be so popular!"

Anja was pissed right now. She knew neither of the girls were going to be good friends, but she hadn't thought that they were hanging out with Lexie for the popularity either.

Silently, Anja made her way to the vents, and slipped in, making her way to the room Lexie was in.

When she arrived, she silently dropped to the floor.

"I was wondering when you were going to show up."  
"Sorry I didn't stay away longer. I just overheard something I thought you'd want to know."  
"Oh? And what would that be?" _Why are you being so cold, Lex?_

Just Kimberly and Marissa talking about how they think we're all weird, but being friends with at least one of us will boost their popularity incredibly."  
Lexie scoffed. "That's good. You come up with that story on your own? Or did someone help you with it?" _Seriously, Alexis. What are you doing? She didn't do anything to you, remember?_  
"Whatever. Just thought I'd warn you."  
With that, Anja walked out, doing her best to hide the tears threatening again. _Don't know why I expected a different response._

Anja continued through the tower until she was sitting in the kitchen with her parents.

* * *

30 minutes later, Lexie was done packing, and heading out with Kimberly and Marissa. Before she left, though, she gave a hug to her parents and everyone of her siblings. But when it came time for her to hug Anja, she just turned and walked away.

Her parents were to stunned to do anything, and by the time they'd processed what had just happened, Lexie was gone, and Anja was well on her way to the car, where she crawled into the very back. Ana joined her after a few minutes, and just held her while the tears slipped quietly from her eyes.

As soon as the returned home, Anja grabbed her things and carried them to her room, where she locked herself in for the rest of the night. Finally, Natasha got so annoyed that she picked the lock and walked in to find Anja sitting on the floor of her shower, crying, the water no longer anywhere near warm.

Natasha reached in and turned off the shower. Anja looked up, startled, but as soon as she saw her mother, she put her forehead back on her knees and continued crying.

"Birdie." Natasha whispered.

Anja turned her head to look at Natasha, tears still flowing down her cheeks.

"Come on, baby girl." Natasha held out Anja's towel to her, and her daughter took it, wrapping around herself.

When it was secure, Anja crawled into Natasha's lap. Natasha rubbed her back for a moment.

"Birdie, why don't you put your pajamas on? I'll go wait in your room, and we can talk then, ok?"  
Anja nodded, and stood up. Natasha kissed her head once, and left the bathroom.

10 minutes later, Anja opened the bathroom door. She'd brushed her hair and braided it, and had put on her favorite pajamas.

She made her way to her bed, where Natasha was sitting, and crawled back into her mother's lap.

"Мама?"  
"Yeah, Birdie?"  
"I'm tired of this."  
"Of what, sweetie?"  
"Constantly fighting. I don't have the strength to deal with it anymore."  
"I know."  
"It hurts, Мама."  
"What do you want me to do, Anja?"  
"I don't know. I was looking online, and I found this dance school."  
"Yeah? Where is it?"  
"Oregon. It's like a boarding school, but all the classes are dance classes."  
"Sounds lovely."  
"Can I go?"  
"Wait, what?"  
"Can I go? It's not too expensive."  
"You want to just move to Oregon? Make the entire family move?"  
"No. Just me."  
"Why do you want to go to Oregon by yourself?"  
"That way Lexie gets her wish. Or at least kind of. She'll get to pretend that she doesn't have a twin."  
"Birdie, she didn't mean that."  
"It sounded like she did. It'll just be easier, Мама. Lexie will be happy not to have a twin, and I'll be happy because I won't be constantly fighting with her."  
"I don't know, Birdie."  
"Will you at least think about it, Мама?"  
"Sure. Now, why don't you go to sleep?"  
Anja nodded, and Natasha helped her under the covers, before kissing her forehead.

"I love you, Anja. Have sweet dreams, my little Birdie."  
Natasha left the room and closed the door, before sagging slightly. She could feel tears coming, so she made her way to the kitchen to make some tea, and to think.

She was used to Anja and Lexie getting upset with each other, their fights had become a daily occurrence. But Natasha could never remember a fight causing one of her daughters to want to move across the country.

As she sat with her mug in her hands, she heard a noise at the front door. She knew automatically that it would be Lexie, so she didn't move to get up. She heard the alarm being reset, and then footsteps making their way down the hall.

Finally, she heard someone stop behind her in the kitchen.

"What did you do you your sister, Alexis?"  
"Мама?"  
"What did you say that made her want to move to Oregon by herself?"  
Lexie sat in the chair next to Natasha. "It was stupid, I didn't mean it."  
"Really? Because she thinks you did."  
"Oregon, really?"  
"Yeah. She said it would make the both of you happy. You'd be happy because you'd be able to pretend you didn't have a twin, and she'd be happy because she wouldn't have to fight with you all the time. So what the hell did you say to her?"  
"It was a heat of the moment thing. I accidentally said I wished she wasn't my twin. But I didn't mean it."  
"Bull shit. To have said it, you had to have thought it at some point."  
"But I never really meant it, Мама!"  
"That doesn't matter. You know how she gets."  
"Why is it always my fault?"  
"Because, you're always the one who starts yelling. You get it in your brain that something is good for her, and you force her to do it, until she snaps. Then, you get mad at her for not really trying."  
"So?"  
"So, you can't start yelling at her for not trying something she was never comfortable with in the first place. You know how she used to be; you know it's a miracle she's comfortable around the number of people that she interacts with on a daily basis. So why do you insist on pushing her?"  
"For God's sake, Мама, you make it sound like she has some kind of disease!"  
"Would you blame her? Honestly, put yourself in her shoes. She spent the first few months of her life being poked and prodded by everyone. We weren't even allowed to visit for the first two months. The first time I tried to hold my baby, she started screaming and crying, because she was so used to people sticking her with things. Then she finally got better, but they still wanted to run tests, so she kept getting poked at by every new person she met. I was barely able to get her to calm down. But whenever I put her next to you, she calmed down immediately. She always felt safe with you. And then you started treating her like she would break if she did anything, even though you knew she wouldn't."  
"I didn't want her to get hurt."  
"I know, and deep down she does too. But how would you feel if I never let you do anything, because there was a small chance something _might_ happen? So it's really no wonder she doesn't trust people. That's why she has you. If she sees that you trust someone, she tries to trust them too. She needs you, and you act like your life is ruined because of her."  
"I'm sorry. You know I love her."  
"Yes, I do. But the real question is, does she?"  
"Of course she does!"  
"Oh really? When was the last time you told her? Without being forced to?"  
Lexie found that she couldn't answer, because she didn't know.  
"That's what I thought. Look, it's late, and I'm tired. So I'm going to bed. Make up with your sister or don't, I don't really care anymore."

Natasha stood up and kissed Lexie's head before making her way to her bedroom.

Lexie sat in the kitchen for a while, thinking over everything her mother had said. She knew most of it, but she hadn't known Anja only stopped crying when she was around, she'd been so used to them fighting all the time.

Finally, Lexie made up her mind, and left the kitchen.

* * *

Anja was sleeping, when something jolted her awake. She continued to lie in bed, trying to figure out what had caused her to wake up, when she heard another person breathing next to her.

"I know you're awake, Birdie."  
Anja didn't respond.

"I want to talk, and I 'd really like if you could listen."  
Again, silence greeted Lexie.

"Ok. First, I'm sorry. I'm so incredibly sorry. I never meant to hurt you like that, and I guess the only reason I said it was because I was annoyed. Second, you were right. I asked Kimberly and Marissa about their conversation, and they denied it. But I went back to the tower for a little bit, and asked JARVIS to pull up the tapes from this afternoon, and I heard what they said, so I'm sorry I brushed you off.  
But I'm also really hurt. I can't believe that you'd believe me when I said I wished I didn't have a twin. And I'm hurt that you'd think the easiest thing to do would be for you to move across the country.  
The final thing I want to say is that I was stupid. Until Мама just yelled at me, I didn't realize exactly what you mean to me. You're my favorite part of myself. I love everything about you. And I know that I drive you crazy when I get overprotective, but I can't help it. I know you're tough, I really do. That's why I push you to do things, but then just as you're about to, I think that it could be the thin that will finally kill you. And then I get mad at you for figuring out how I feel and wanting to back out. And I'm sorry. I try so hard to get you to break out of your shell, because I don't think anyone is prettier than you are when you're smiling and having fun. But then I think that I might lose you, and that terrifies me, because I know how close I was to that once." Lexie paused here, and Anja could hear the tears in her voice, and she definitely hadn't missed the few times Lexie's voice had cracked.

Finally, Anja rolled over to look at her sister. She sat up slowly, and gently placed her hand on Lexie's arm. Without warning, Lexie threw her arms around Anja's neck, and hugged her tightly.

"I can't lose you, Anja. I think about what could happen to you, and I can't handle it. I wake up sometimes after a nightmare about something happening, and the only way I can calm down is to come sit in here and listen to you breathe. And I know that sounds creepy, but it's true. You're the strong one, Anja, not me. I'm not strong enough to make it if something happened to you. I wouldn't be able to survive if you weren't here."  
Anja hugged her sister tightly. "I can't lose you, Birdie, I just can't."  
"I know, Lex. I can't lose you either."  
With that, both girls lay down on Anja's bed, arms still wrapped around each other, and fell asleep. Their parents found them in the morning, dried tear tracks on both of their faces.

* * *

After that, they decided to never mention this particular fight again. And while they still fought, it wasn't as frequently. Anja learned to deal with Lexie being overprotective, and Lexie learned that Anja was able to many things without breaking.

And while they didn't stop fighting, neither one ever said they wished the other didn't exist. And they always made up before they went to bed.

* * *

**I know this one is kind of long, but I didn't want to split it up, and I felt that it was all vital to the story, so yeah. And it's sort of an 'I'm sorry I haven't updated in such a long time, please forgive me' present.**

**Also, I know that the drama I've mentioned surrounding Lexie and Anja being born isn't in Моя любовь (My Love) But that's because this idea just came to me, and I don't really feel like going back and adding it. So yeah.**

**Sorry for the super long author's note.**

**Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry it's been so long since I last updated! I've had this idea for quite a while, but I never got around to writing it. Then this idea spurred another one-which you might be able to guess at based on this chapter- so there might be another update soon.**

* * *

"Mja, you look so pretty." Abbie said as she caught her best friend's eye in the mirror.  
"She's right, you know." Ali added, "You're gorgeous."  
"Aw shucks, guys. You're making me blush." Mja joked.  
"I think that's the makeup Pepper spent hours doing." Alekz commented from her spot on the bed.  
"It might have something to do with that." Ana added, winking at her twin.  
"Alright, stop harassing the bride." Natasha said.  
"But mo-om." Anja joked.  
"Oh, very good, Birdie." Lexie praised her sister.

Mja just rolled her eyes as the girls continued talking. The door opened, and Jane and Pepper walked in.  
"Oh God, Pepper. Why'd you bring me in here now?" Jane wailed.  
"Mom, calm down." Mja quipped. She stood from the vanity Pepper had seated her at, and made her way to her mother.  
Jane pulled her daughter in for a hug. "Sorry, Sweetie."  
"It's ok, Mom." Mja whispered. As she pulled back, Ali and Abbie noticed her hands were shaking slightly.  
"Alright, everyone out. Besties need a moment." Abbie called.  
"Really?" Clara sighed. Livvy rolled her eyes at both of her sisters, and pulled Clara from the room. Everyone else followed, and Ali and Abbie gestured for Mja to join them on the bed.

"What's going on, kid?" Abbie asked.  
"Shut it. I'm older than you."  
"Yeah yeah yeah."  
"Seriously, Mja, what's wrong?" Ali asked.

That was how their friendship worked. Abbie was the joker, Ali the quiet one- although prone to her own jokes, Mja was the subdued one, and Andrei was the voice of reason that held them all together.  
"Don't tell me you're thinking of ditching my brother." Ali said, somewhat jokingly, but with a hint of fear thrown in.  
"Of course not! I just can't help thinking that maybe…"  
"Maybe what?" Abbie asked, all traces of jokes gone.  
"Maybe everyone was right." Mja whispered.  
"Right about what?"  
"Do we really know what we're doing? We're 22 for crying out loud!"  
"Mja, did anyone in any of our families tell you that?"  
"No."  
"It was just the tabloids. None of us think you're too young. When did you guys start dating?"  
"When we were 14." Mja said, knowing exactly where Ali was headed with this.  
"Right. And that was how many years ago?"  
"8."  
"And in that time, did you guys ever break up?"  
"Yes."  
"When?"  
"A month after we started dating." Mja sighed.  
"For how long?" Ali asked, trying not to chuckle. She knew she was going to win.  
"2 weeks."  
"Why?"  
"I don't actually remember."  
"That proves my point. I know you know, but I came up with my point, so you're listening." Ali half joked. "You guys have been dating for 8 years, minus two weeks. You decided you were going to get married after you graduated college, and that was two years ago."  
"That's because everyone assumed we meant normal college graduating age." Mja interjected.  
"Whatever. The point is, that you and Andrei are perfect for each other."  
"I know." Mja sighed.  
"And now that half of us are getting married, it's time to set up the next person!" Abbie exclaimed.  
"So, you?" Ali asked, a smirk on her face.  
"No. You're the next oldest, so it's you next."  
"Thanks, but no thanks."  
"What, seriously, Ali?" Mja asked, shocked.  
"Seriously. I don't know if I want to get married. Everyone knows I'm going to work for SHIELD, so it wouldn't be a shock."  
"But still, you don't even want to look at boys?" Abbie asked, hurt.  
"I think we know what parent influenced your dating habits, Abs." Ali joked.  
"Ali." Mja whispered.  
"What?"  
"Is this because of Jake?"  
"No."  
"Yes it is!" Abbie exclaimed. "You never got over that, did you?"  
"I told you I did."  
"That doesn't count though. Your parents are master assassins."  
"Ali, it doesn't have to end up like that again." Mja said gently, ignoring Abbie's comment.  
"I know."  
"You're worried about Andrei not being there, aren't you?"  
"I-I…"  
"It's ok to admit it, Ali. I know how you guys are. After 22 years, I've kind of figured it out. You need each other."  
"I know, but…"  
"But nothing." Abbie said. "We already decided that we're living together once they get back from Asgard."  
"I think you're the one that decided that, Abs." Ali said.  
"Ali…"  
"Please, Mja. Let's get you married, and then once you get back, we'll talk. Ok?"  
Mja sighed. "Fine. But I'm going to hold you to it."  
"I would expect nothing less."

At that moment, the door opened again, and all the girls came back in.  
"Sorry, girls. But if we want to be on time, we need to keep doing hair and whatnot." Pepper said.  
"It's fine. We'd just finished out conversation." Mja said, her eyes never leaving Ali's.  
"Good. So who's next? Ana, do you want me to do Talia's hair?"  
"Nah. She can go last, that way it has a prayer of staying in."  
"Ok. Then Clara bug, you're up."  
Clara sighed and stood up from where she'd been sitting on the floor with her niece. She picked Talia back up and handed her to Ana. The little girl snuggled closer to her mother, her head resting on Ana's shoulder.

"What's wrong, baby?" Ana asked.  
"Want Papa." The three year-old answered.

Ana looked at her mother, and Natasha nodded.

"Alright. Then let's go find him, ok?"  
Talia nodded, and Ana made her way to the door.

"Hey, Ana?" Anja called.  
"Yeah?" She asked, turning to face her sister.  
"Are you gonna tackle everyone to catch the bouquet? That way you can finally get Kyle to marry you?" She asked, a mischievous glint in her eyes.  
Ana rolled her eyes. "He's not the only one who's wanted to postponed getting married." She reminded her sisters and cousins. "We're perfectly happy being engaged, thank you very much."

At the same time, all 4 of her sisters rolled their eyes. It would have made her laugh if this was a conversation she wasn't extremely used to.

"Mama." Talia whimpered.  
"I know, baby. Mama's sisters are just being mean."

She shot playful glares at each sister, and Abbie for good measure. Natasha came over and kissed Ana's cheek and Talia's head.

"Go. And when you get back, edit out your father's undoubtedly poor behavior."  
Ana smiled at her mother and left the room. She walked down the hall to the elevator and pushed the button for her family's floor, 3 stories down.

The wedding was taking place on the roof of Stark Tower that evening. She smiled as she thought over Andrei and Mja's relationship. When the two had still been dating after 5 years, everyone basically decided for them that they were getting married.

The elevator dinged, and Ana stepped onto the floor that used to belong to her parents, before they'd moved to their home. She saw a door ahead of her open, and smiled when her dad stuck his head out.

"There's my little girl." Clint cooed.  
"Hey. She wanted to come visit."  
"How's everything upstairs?"  
"Good. Are you behaving?"  
"Always."

Ana just gave him a look, and rolled her eyes.

"Who is it?" she heard from inside.  
"Me."  
"We don't accept me's, sorry."  
"Tough luck."

Ana stepped into the room and smiled as she saw the boys lounging around. While Pepper, Jane and Natasha were the "chaperones" for the girls, Clint, Thor, and Steve were chosen as the boy's chaperones. Bruce and Tony were then dispatched to make sure everything was as it should be, hoping to not make Pepper angry.

"Hey, baby."  
Ana turned around and smiled at Kyle. "Hey."  
"I uh, I was talking to the kid." He said.  
"Rude." Ana responded, returning her fiancé's smile.  
Kyle pulled Talia into his arms and gave her a kiss. "You sleepy, hun?"

Talia just nodded her head and rubbed her eyes. Once Kyle had gotten her settled on his hip, she leaned forward, resting her face in the side of his neck. Kyle carefully stroked his daughter's blood red curls, so similar to her mother's and grandmother's.

Ana moved across the room to sit next to her brother on the bed.  
"How you holding up?" She asked.  
"Fine. I just want to see her."  
"You know the rules."  
"I know." He huffed.

Ana laughed and kissed his cheek. She smiled as she looked around. Mja's brother, Josh, was sitting on one of the chairs, looking through pictures of their time as kids, while Jackson and Justin were sitting with their father, playing on the ipads that Tony had given everyone for Christmas. Thor was sitting next to his son, clearly trying not to cry as he looked at his daughter growing up, and Kyle was in the corner holding a now sleeping Talia.

"Seriously?" Ana finally asked.  
"What?" her fiancé asked.  
"You guys aren't doing anything?"  
"You mean like running around like headless chickens?" Clint asked.  
"You know that Mom would never do that."  
Clint rolled his eyes, remembering a mission where his wife- girlfriend at the time- had done just that.

Ana laughed, and decided that she could spend some time with the boys, if for no other reason than to let her daughter get some sleep.

After an hour, though, she decided to head back.

"I'll see you guys soon. Remember to show up, Andy."  
"I've told you not to call me that." Andrei grumbled.  
"I know. That's why I do it." She smiled as she kissed his cheek. "I love you." She added in a whisper.

Andrei nodded and squeezed her hand.

"You taking her with you?" Kyle asked.  
"Yeah."  
Ana took her daughter back into her arms, causing the little girl to stir.  
"Hey, sleepyhead."  
"Mama?"  
"Yeah, Sweetie. We're going back to the girls. They at least no how to have fun." She joked, getting a snort from some of the boys.  
"See you later, hotshot." She said to Kyle.  
"See you. Be good ok, Talia?"  
"Kay." She whispered.  
"Love you." Ana said as she kissed Kyle.  
"Love you too." He responded, ignoring the gagging sounds that seemed to come from Clint.  
"You're not very mature, dear father."  
"Never said I was." He smirked.

Ana rolled her eyes and leaned in to kiss his cheek.

"You still good to hold her after her part?"  
"Absolutely." Clint said as he kissed his granddaughter's cheek.

Ana bid everyone a last farewell, and left the room and the floor.

When she returned to Pepper and Tony's level, the rest of the girls were done with their hair and makeup.

"I was just about to come find you." Pepper said as she led Ana to the vanity.

Natasha took Talia from her mother, and began singing softly in Russian.

Pepper's hands combed through Ana's long red hair, pulling and twisting and braiding, until she proclaimed it done. Then she got to work on Ana's makeup, deciding that subtle was fine, since she already had a guy.

"Pepper, you realize you're helping them pick people up, at a wedding, right?" Ana asked.  
"I do. But it's ok, because my daughter's one of the people I'm helping."

Everyone laughed at that, except Abbie.

When Ana's hair was done, Natasha set Talia on her mother's lap, and Pepper started doing the little girl's hair. When she was done, Ana took Talia into the bathroom and helped her into her flower girl dress. It was a pale blue color with a silver sash around the middle. When Ana had pulled on her bridesmaid dress, silver with a blue sash, just like the others, they left the bathroom, and Talia toddled over to Mja.

"Hey, pretty girl." Mja said as she gave her niece a hug.  
"Hi."  
"Are we almost ready?" Pepper asked.  
"Yeah."  
"Umm, can I just have a minute with Mja?" Jane asked.  
"Of course."

Everyone filed out, leaving Mja with her mother, both of them close to tears.

"I swear to Odin, Mom. If you make me cry and ruin my makeup, I won't stop Pepper from hurting you." Mja said, doing her best to keep the tears from falling.  
"I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm crying like this. I swore I wouldn't."  
"It's ok, Mom. Honestly. After this, we're off to Asgard to do this whole thing again. And then we're moving to another _floor_."  
"But then you're moving out!"  
"Mom. You knew this day would come."  
"I know! But it doesn't mean I like it."  
"I know, Mom. But it'll be ok. We'll come over for dinner once a week, probably more, since neither of us can cook very well."  
Jane finally laughed as she pulled her daughter in for a hug.

"I love you so much, Mja."  
"I love you too, Mommy."  
Jane smiled as she kissed Mja's cheek. Suddenly, a knock sounded on the door. Both women wiped under their eyes, ensuring that they looked fine.

When Jane opened the door, she nearly began crying again as she saw her husband in front of her, doing his best not to cry.

"Alright. I'm going to head down. Make sure that at least one of you isn't crying as you walk, I'd hate for you to fall off the roof." Jane said, her best attempt at a joke.

Mja nodded, and Jane kissed Thor's cheek as she stepped past him.

"Mja, you look gorgeous."  
"Thank you, Daddy."

Thor couldn't hold back any more. He stepped into the room and pulled his daughter into his chest.

"I love you, Mja."  
"I love you too, Daddy."  
Together, they left the room and made their way to where they'd enter from.

Talia was in the front of the line, holding her basket of flowers and not really listening as her mother reminded her to sit with Clint after she was done.

"Ana, she'll be fine." Alekz said. Ana glared at her sister, but couldn't hold back the laughter that Alekz always invoked in her.

Anja and Lexie were behind Talia, holding their bouquets. Clara was behind them, smiling as she spoke to Livvy, who stood behind her with Alekz and Ana. Mja hadn't thought twice about having each of the girls do something in her wedding. Everyone ended up being a bridesmaid, except Abbie and Ali, her two best friends.

Andrei had gone a similar route. Josh was his best man, since they were the two closest of the boys, and Josh was also Mja's sister. The groomsmen consisted of Kyle Justin, and Jackson, since it seemed that the Avengers had issues having sons.

Before she was ready, the music began, and the doors in front of them opened. Talia began walking, followed by the bridesmaids, and then the maids of honor. Finally, it was Mja's turn.

Thor tucked her arm through his, and placed his other hand over her own, squeezing gently.  
"Ready, little girl?"  
"Ready." She whispered. Together, they made their way down the aisle, and Mja had to focus on Andrei's face to keep from tripping over her own feet.

Her dress was gorgeous. It was a cream color strapless number. It fit her snuggly at the top, and there was a light blue sash around her waist, marking the point where the material flowed away from her body, she was glad that her dress had no lace or beads on it, for although she was a princess, she had very simple tastes. She was wearing a tiara, a gift from her grandmother, and her waist length white-blonde hair was down and curled in ringlets. Pepper's plan had been for the blue accents to match Mja's eyes, and everything matched perfectly. The simpleness of her dress and hair brought attention to Mja's eyes, and the color popped perfectly, thanks in part to Pepper's skill with makeup.

When they finally reached the front, Mja smiled at Andrei.

"You're gorgeous," he whispered as Thor placed Mja's hand in Andrei's  
"You're not so bad yourself." She responded.

The ceremony passed quickly. When it was time to kiss, Andrei leaned in with a smile on his face. He pressed his lips to hers, and Mja sighed. She thought she heard her father crying, but she couldn't be sure. Her entire mind was focused on her husband, and if she had it her way, they never would stop kissing.

All to soon, Andrei pulled back and smiled at her, managing to convey that they would have plenty of time to themselves when they were alone.

Together, they left the roof and made their way to one of the larger floors. Pepper arrived not long after and helped Mja change into a different dress while Andrei waited patiently.

When they finally entered the area they were using for their reception, everyone else was already there. Without warning, Talia came running up to Andrei and threw her arms around his legs.

"Andy!" She squealed. Andrei repressed a sigh as he glared at Ana, who was smirking in the corner, having no doubt told her daughter to call him Andy.  
"Hey, Tali."  
"Mama made me call you Andy."  
"I figured as much."

He shifted his niece to his hip as he grabbed Mja's hand. They walked to their table together and Andrei pulled out Mja's chair for her, before sitting in his own and pulling Talia onto his lap.

There were various tables throughout the room, along with a large area to dance on. Andrei and Mja were sharing their table with Abbie and Ali, having decided that to try to sit their entire family at one table was doomed from the start, and the four of them had been best friends for as long as they could remember.

As soon as they were all seated, servers began bringing out the food, and everyone began eating and talking. Andrei gave some of his food to Talia, but didn't eat anything for himself.

"Why aren't you eating?" Mja asked.  
"Too happy." He responded, brushing the back of his hand across her cheek.  
"We should make the rounds." He finally said.

Mja nodded, and stood up while Andrei turned to Talia.

"Do you want to go back to you mom, or stay with Abbie and Ali?"  
"Papa." She answered, causing the four of them to laugh. Andrei stood and carried Talia to her parent's table, while holding Mja's hand.

Ana and Kyle were sitting with Alekz, Livvy, and Livvy's boyfriend David.

"I think this belongs to you, Annie." Andrei whispered in his sister's ear.  
"Don't call me that." She hissed.  
"Then don't call me Andy."

Kyle took his daughter from Andrei while Ana stuck her tongue out at him.

"Play nice, Ana." Alekz said, chuckling at her sister's behavior.  
"I swear, Ana, you act more like a child than your daughter." Livvy said, laughing as Ana looked hurt.  
"Congrats, both of you." David said.  
"Thanks." Mja answered. She began talking to the girls wile Andrei and the boys talked.  
"You guys should probably move on." Ana finally said.  
"I guess."

Together, the newly weds went to the next table where Anja, Lexie, Clara, Josh, Justin, and Jackson were sitting.

"Hey, guys." Mja said. She went over to her brother and allowed him to pull her into a massive hug.  
"I love you, Mj."  
"I know." She teased.

Josh held her closely to his side, not willing to let her go.

"You know we're coming back, right?" She whispered to him, as the rest of the table was laughing at something Andrei had said, no doubt his plan to give the siblings time together.

The next stop was the table where their parents were sitting, along with Tony and Pepper, Steve and Maria, and Bruce and Betty.

"Congrats, guys." Bruce said, while Thor and Jane tried not to cry.  
"Thanks, Bruce."  
"Natasha, Clint, why aren't you crying?" Jane suddenly demanded.  
"He's our only boy. It'll be a blessing to get him out of the house after 22 years." Natasha deadpanned. But Andrei knew that his parents were trying not to cry. They were assassins, they didn't cry because one of their children was happy. He grabbed Mja's hand and together they made their way back to their table.

As soon as they sat down, Abbie stood up and went to one of the microphones.

"Umm, can I have everybody's attention?"  
The room went quiet as everyone's attention became focused on Abbie.  
"Thanks. Apparently as best friend to the bride and groom, I have to make a speech. So here goes nothing.  
"I've known Andrei and Mja forever. Literally. I can't think of a time when we didn't know each other, or when we didn't see each other everyday. We grew up together, got in trouble together, fought together, laughed together. I remember the day Andrei first asked Mja out. They were 14, and he had no idea what he was doing. He went up to her, and said 'Mja, do you want to go out?' it was the cutest thing to watch, and I'm still convinced that Mja only said yes because she assumed Ali and I were going with them. But she stuck by him, and eventually learned to love him. or at least to tolerate him." People laughed at that bit, while Andrei scowled at one of his best friends. Mja leaned in and whispered in his ear, "I love you." Andrei smiled at her, and turned his attention back to Abbie.  
"I love you guys. You're both the sweetest people I've ever met, and I know you'll be happy together."

Abbie finished her speech and returned to the table, receiving a glare from Andrei, which only lasted a moment before he began laughing.

When he finally stopped, he looked up and saw his mother standing at the microphone.

"I don't usually do this kind of thing, but I figured I'd give it a shot.  
"Andrei, I can't even begin to tell you how much I love you. You'll always be my little boy; so don't even think of trying to get me to treat you as anything different. You remind me so much of another little boy I used to know, one who didn't get a chance to grow up. My little brother was funny and kind, and he cared a great deal for everyone around him. He was wise beyond his years, and he never failed to forgive someone. Andrei, you remind me of him so much. You can't help but care for people, and you do everything in your power to keep those you love from getting hurt. You're strong and independent, but you know when to listen to those around you.  
"But you're stubborn to a fault, so Mja, you're a saint for putting up with him." Everyone laughed at that. "I love you, Мой маленький принц." _'My little prince.'_

Natasha finished her speech and made her way to her son. Andrei stood and wrapped his arms around his mother.

"I love you." He whispered.  
"I love you too." When Natasha pulled away, Andrei saw tears pooling in her eyes. He kissed her cheek softly, and Natasha returned the gesture before going to sit back down.

Josh was the next to speak, and Andrei knew it was going to be good.

"Mja, you know I love you. Mostly because I have to, or mom and dad won't pay me, but a little bit is because I kind of like you." His wink told Mja that he was joking, and she knew he'd done this to lighten the mood slightly. "Andrei, I told you once, but I'll remind you, just in case you forgot, or thought that I'd forgotten.  
"Treat her well. Or I'll castrate you."

With that, Josh stepped away, and made his way over to hug his sister. When he was done, he shook Andrei's hand while giving him a death glare. While Andrei was slightly scared-because Josh was a demi-god, and very muscular- Mja simply laughed.

Once Josh had sat down, Ali made her way to the microphone.

"I think I'm the last speech, which works well for me.  
"Mja, you know I love you. You're one of my best friends, and you've made me laugh countless times. You're funny, bright, sensitive, caring, annoying, weird, and awkward, but I wouldn't have it any other way. You make every situation fun and slightly awkward, which something that everyone needs.  
"Andrei. I can't begin to tell you everything I want to tell you. You're my best friend, and I honestly don't know what I'd do without you. You're weird, and funny, just like me. And your ability to care for people is amazing. You're always there to listen to me rant about anything, whether you end up needing to beat someone up for me or not. You've always taken care of me, whether I wanted you to or not- thank you, dad, for that. We've gotten in fights, but you make it impossible to stay mad at you for long.  
"I love everything about you. I love that you know what I'm thinking with a single look. I love that you know better than to steal my ice cream, even if it's the only kind left. I love that you're willing to do anything for me, and anyone you love. I love that you never gave up on me, even though I've given you plenty of opportunities. I love that even though you've walked away during our fights, you always came back when I needed you. I love that you still won't let me watch Beauty and the Beast alone. But most of all, I love you. I love everything you are, and everything you'll be."

by the end of her speech, the room was quiet, and Ali was close to tears. Mja squeezed his hand once, and Andrei was out of his chair and making his way across the room to his sister. She met him halfway, and he pulled her into his arms.

"I love you, Aliya."  
"I love you too, Andrei."  
They held each other tightly, and Ali finally let a few tears slip from her eyes.

"I'll always be here, you know that, right?"  
"I do. And I'll be here whenever you need me."  
Andrei nodded and pulled away from his sister. He used his thumb to wipe away the tear tracks and kissed her cheek. They made their way back to the table, and Abbie switched seats with Ali, so that she could sit next to her brother.

Tony went to the microphone a short while later, and announced it was time for the first dance.  
Andrei stood and kissed Ali's head. He turned to Mja and led her onto the floor and pulled her into his body.

"You're amazing, you know that?" She asked.  
"You're pretty cool yourself." He responded.

They continued dancing, and when the song came to an end, Andrei pulled Mja in for another kiss, while cameras flashed like crazy. When they were done, the father daughter dance started, and Thor stepped in. As Andrei went to his seat, he smiled as he saw Erik take Jane onto the floor, and Kyle held Talia in his arms as the danced around the floor with her. Clint came up to Ali and pulled her onto the floor. Bruce made his way to Ana and forced her to dance with him, while Tony took Abbie to dance, and Steve took Livvy. Josh finally convinced Clara to dance with him, and Andrei smiled as he watched his family dance together. Justin and Jackson were convinced by their mother to dance with Anja and Lexie, and Andrei watched as Alekz made her way across the room to his table.

They sat in silence, and Andrei was about to dance with her, when she nudged him in Ali's direction. Andrei stood and walked over to his twin. He tapped his father on the shoulder and without a word, Clint handed her off to her brother. Ali wrapped her arms around his neck as his went around her waist. When Andrei looked up, he saw Alekz and Clint dancing together, and he smiled.

"You're doing that a lot." Ali whispered to him.  
"I'm happy."  
"I noticed."

As the song came to an end, Andrei kissed Ali's cheek and went to stand with his wife.

They danced some more before deciding to move on to cake. He smashed some on Mja's face, careful to avoid getting any on her clothes, but she wasn't so careful when it was her turn, not minding where she got cake.

After everyone had partied sufficiently, Mja gathered all the girls and threw her bouquet. It didn't come as a surprise to anyone that Ana caught it, and she was met with many wolf whistles, to which she rolled her eyes.

Finally, it was time to go. Andrei and Mja were going on a short honeymoon before going to Asgard. As they made their way through the crowed of their family, they kissed, before splitting up to say goodbye to their families. Andrei hugged each of his siblings and tickled Talia while Mja hugged her parents and brother repeatedly.

Just before he left, Andrei pulled Ali to the side.

"I'll see you soon."  
"Yeah. I'll miss you."  
"I know, I'll miss you too. But you're coming to Asgard with us, and I hear that'll be a party."  
Ali laughed. "I can hardly wait."  
Andrei smiled as he kissed her cheek. Then he turned back to his wife and helped her into the limo that would take them to the airport, where Tony's private jet would take them to whatever country they decided to go to.

Mja and Andrei turned around as the car pulled away and waved to their family and friends. When they were no longer visible, they turned back to the front, and Andrei pulled Mja close to his body and kissed her head.

"I love you, Mja."  
"I love you too, Andrei."

* * *

**Yay, it's done! I was going to do the Asgard wedding in this chapter, but I might give it it's own chapter, although it probably won't be as long as this one.  
Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**

**A helpful reminder:  
Which parents have which kids:**

**Clint and Natasha:  
Anastasiya Viktoriya Barton-Romanoff (Ana)- 23-years-old  
Alekzandra Milena Barton-Romanoff (Alekz)- 23-years-old  
Andrei Luka Barton-Romanoff- 22-years-old  
Aliya Nadja Barton-Romanoff (Ali)- 22-years-old  
Alexis Zaria Barton-Romanoff (Lexie)- 17-years-old  
Anja Kira Barton-Romanoff (Birdie)- 17-years-old**

**Tony and Pepper:  
Olivia Sofia Stark (Livvy)- 23-years-old  
Abigail Marie Stark (Abbie)- 22-years-old  
Clara Rose Stark- 20-years-old**

**Jane and Thor:  
Mja Elizabeth Odinson-22-years-old  
Joshua Michael Odinson (Josh)- 20-years-old**

**Steve and Maria:  
Justin Edward Rogers- 15-years-old  
Jackson Steven Rogers- 15-years-old**

**Ana and Kyle:  
Natalia Grace Peterson- 3-years-old**


	6. Author's note

Author's note:  
Sorry if you got excited thinking this was a new chapter, but I've come to a decision. I'm putting this on hiatus, and trying to focus on my other stories. It feels like I'm putting a lot of effort into this story, and not many people are reading it. It's also becoming slightly more difficult to come up with different things for the characters to do, and my muse is running out. So I don't want to continue writing chapters if they're not going to be very good.

Thank you to everyone who's read and reviewed this story. I'll try to work up some more ideas, but it'll likely be a while. Thank you for understanding, and have a nice day. :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Well, I guess this means I'm back. At least kind of. I had a couple of ideas for this story, so I decided to see how well they were received.  
Born in the wrong generation- don't worry, I haven't forgotten your request. It'll be posted either next chapter or the chapter after that, depending on how I decide to break this up.  
To everyone else, I hope you like this.**

**Alright, here's the chapter inspired by the last one, although this one takes place before the previous one does.**

* * *

Ana was sitting in the master bathroom in the house she shared with her boyfriend, Kyle Peterson. They'd been dating for a while now, not as long as Andrei and Mja had been dating, but no one in their family was going to be able to beat that record. But even though they' been living together for a few years, she'd never imagined that this would be possible. She knew it happened to other people, but somehow she hadn't thought she'd be in this position.

She was pregnant. Before she was married.

She knew rationally that her family wouldn't care that she and Kyle weren't married, but for some reason, that information wasn't helping her heart rate.

As she held the test in her hand, she found herself smiling. She'd always wanted kids, not as many as her parents, but 2 or 3 wouldn't be horrible.

She was pulled from her thoughts when she heard the front door close, and Kyle's voice announcing his return.

"Ana? You here, Sweetie?"  
"Yeah. Bedroom." She called back.

She placed the test on the counter and entered the bedroom just as Kyle did. He made his way over to her and pulled her into his arms. She wrapped her arms around him, glad to have him home. He was a SHIELD agent, just as she was, and he'd been sent out on a short solo mission. But no matter how long or short the mission was, she always worried about him.

"Missed you." She whispered into his chest.

"Missed you too." He replied, pressing his lips to the top of her head.

"How was it?"  
"Not bad. The mark was a scumbag, deserved a hell of a lot worse than what he got."  
"Isn't that always the case?"  
"I suppose. What did I miss?"  
"Andrei still hasn't proposed, but everyone knows he's going to, even Mja. Alekz was stupid and broke two fingers in a door; Lex and Birdie got in another fight, made up before bed, and started screaming again at breakfast. Abbie and Ali went to South Carolina and won't tell anyone what happened, but Mja and Andrei figured it out and aren't telling either. Justin and Jackson got in a paintball fight with their dad, my dad, Thor, and Tony. Pepper had to deal with Tony whining at getting beat by a couple kids. Mom and Dad took the fight back to HQ and painted the walls while trying to hit each other. Jane and Maria decided that banning their husbands from sports was punishment enough."

"Really? All that in 3 days?"  
"There's one other thing."  
"Oh?"  
"I'm pregnant."

Kyle pulled back slightly, and Ana smiled sheepishly at the look of surprise on his face.  
"You're what?" He asked.  
"Pregnant." Ana replied, deciding to have a little fun with him.  
"How?"  
"Well, when two people love each other very much-" Ana started before Kyle cut her off.  
"Very funny." He said. "But, seriously? You're not joking, are you?"  
"I wouldn't joke about something like this." Ana said, suddenly serious.  
Kyle sighed and grabbed her hand before leading her over to the bed. "So, what do we do now?" He asked.  
Ana smiled when he said 'we'. She hadn't been too worried that he would jump ship, but it was still nice to hear.  
"Well, I only took a home test, so we should go tot eh doctor and get it confirmed." Ana said.  
"Alright. And then?"  
"Well, I'll have to tell Alekz. There's no way I can keep something like this from her. But as for everyone else, I want to wait until the end of the first trimester." Ana replied logically.  
Kyle paled suddenly as what Ana had said sunk in. "Oh shit." He murmured.  
"What?" Ana asked worriedly.  
"We have to tell your parents. Your parents are going to kill me."  
"Maybe not. It depends on how we tell them."  
"I guess. When are you going to tell Alekz?"  
"We're having lunch in a couple of days, so probably then."  
Kyle nodded and pulled Ana back into a hug. "Just for the record?" He asked.  
"Hmm?"  
"I'm very very happy."  
"Oh? Want to show me how happy?" Ana teased.  
A wolfish grin crossed Kyle's face as he pulled Ana to the bed so he could show her just how happy he was.

* * *

"Alright, what aren't you telling me?" Alekz asked after they'd ordered their lunch.  
"What are you talking about?" Ana asked, trying to act normal.  
"I know when you're hiding something. So, out with it. What's up?"  
Ana sighed and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Before I say anything, I need you to promise not to freak out, ok?" She asked seriously.  
Alekz sobered up slightly, but she nodded anyway. "Ok. It's not bad, is it?"  
"No. But I don't want you making a scene." Ana said with a small smile.  
"I won't. Just tell me."  
Ana sighed again and looked her twin in the eye. "Well," she finally said. "I uh, I'm pregnant."  
Alekz was quiet for a moment before an excited noise escaped her mouth and she brought one of her hands up to try to stifle the noise. Ana watched her sister's reaction and couldn't help but smile.  
"Seriously?" Alekz asked after she'd managed to calm down.  
"Yeah. I found out a couple days ago."  
"Does Kyle know?"  
"Yeah, he got home right after I found out."  
"Did you tell Mama and Papa yet?"  
"No. We're going to wait until the end of the first trimester, just in case. But I knew you'd be pissed if I waited that long to tell you."  
"Damn right I would have been." Alekz agreed.  
"But now you have to promise not to say anything to anyone until we tell them, ok?"  
"Ok. Wait, does this mean you're going to get married?"  
"No."  
"Did he at least ask you?"  
"No, and I don't want him to."  
"You don't?"  
"No. Because I want him to want to ask me, I don't want him to feel like he has to."  
Alekz sighed but didn't comment. Everyone figured she was more eager for Ana and Kyle to get married than they were.  
"Alright, fine." Alekz finally said.  
"Thank you." Ana said. "But try saying it a little more petulantly, won't you?"  
Alekz just glared at her, but her response was cut off by the waiter bringing their food, after which the girls began to eat and talk about things besides the person growing in Ana's stomach.

* * *

"Do we really have to do this tonight?" Ana asked as Kyle zipped her dress for her.  
"You said at the end of your first trimester. And that was a few days ago, so yes. We do."  
"Ugh, fine." Ana grumbled as she brushed her hair and pinned her bangs back.  
"Hey, I should be more worried than you. There's going to be a tower full of people that could potentially kill me."  
"They won't. They won't make me raise a baby by myself."  
"That's not comforting." Kyle said as he pulled Ana up off the bed. "Come on, let's get out of here."  
Ana sighed but followed Kyle out of the bedroom and out of their apartment.  
When they got to the tower, everyone else was already there, and Kyle wandered off to find the guys and make himself as un helpful as possible. Ana shook her head as she watched him join a conversation about which Halo character was better as if he'd been in the conversation from the beginning.  
"Hey there." Alekz said from behind her twin, and it was only with a very sharp look that Ana managed to keep her sister from commenting about her slightly larger stomach.  
"Hi. Where's everyone else?"  
"Getting dinner ready. Why do you think the boys are all out here?"  
Ana nodded her agreement before following her sister to where most of the other girls were, minus Ali, Mja, and Abbie, who were likely off with Andrei somewhere.  
"Hi, guys." Ana called as she walked in, earning a chorus of 'hi's and 'hello's back. Natasha set down the vegetables she was cutting and made her way over to her oldest daughter and pulled her into a hug.  
"I know your little secret." Natasha whispered in Ana's ear. "But I won't tell them until you do." When Natasha pulled back, she had a smile on her face, and Ana couldn't help but return it.  
"Thanks." She murmured, before grabbing a spoon and going to stir the pot that Anja was ignoring.  
"Birdie, if this burns, you're eating it all." Ana teased her little sister, and Anja stuck her tongue out in response.  
While everyone cooked and set the table, a flurry of conversations exploded, with people jumping form one to another and yelling over each other. When the boys came in for dinner, the yelling got louder as they too gave their opinions, and as everyone began passing food around, Ana kept quiet trying to find a time to tell her extended family about the baby.  
Just when she thought she'd never get a word in, Alekz stood up and took matters into her own hands.  
"Hey!" She shouted, managing to shut everyone else up. "Thank you. Ana and Kyle have an announcement."  
When Alekz sat back down, everyone turned to Ana, and she felt her cheeks go pink. She shot a look to her twin, who gave her an encouraging smile, and then one to her mother, who gave a slight head nod. Ana took a deep breath before she reached out and grabbed Kyle's hand.  
"We're having a baby." She announced, before promptly sitting back down and shoving a forkful of mashed potatoes into her mouth as she did her best not to blush when Kyle leaned in and whispered 'Wimp' into her ear.  
All around the table, her family began talking over each other, congratulating the two of them and asking questions that weren't really meant to be answered. Ana managed to tone most of them out and focus on eating, until she felt someone behind her.  
"You can relax, Ana. I'm not gonna kill your boyfriend." Clint whispered into her ear before he pressed a kiss to her head.  
Ana sighed in relief, and continued to eat at a much less furious pace.

After dinner, Ana was banned from helping to clean up by Pepper, so Kyle pulled her into one of the smaller sitting rooms and sat down in a squishy arm chair before he pulled her down to sit on his lap.  
"That wasn't so bad, was it?" He asked.  
"I guess not. My dad says he won't kill you. Just so you know."  
"Well, I appreciate that." Kyle said with a smile.  
As the cleaning continued, more and more of the boys got sent out to sit with them when their wives and mothers decided they weren't being helpful. When everything was finally done, everyone gathered in the main living room to watch a movie, and Ana managed to fall asleep halfway through. When she woke up, the movie was ending, and Kyle was helping her off the couch and to the door, where everyone gave them hugs and kisses goodbye, along with their final congratulations. When they finally escaped, they hurried home, where Ana collapsed into bed and was out for the night.

* * *

"Can you send my mom in?" Ana asked Kyle as she stared down at the bundle in her arms. "There's a few things I want to talk to her about."  
"Of course." Kyle said with a smile as he kissed both Ana and the baby on the head. "I love you."  
"Love you too." Ana murmured as she watch whim leave.  
When she was alone with her new born, Ana turned her attention to the sleeping baby with bright red hair and couldn't help the smile on her face.  
"Hey." Natasha whispered from the doorway. "Kyle said you wanted to see me?"  
"Yeah. Come meet your granddaughter, Natalia Grace Peterson."  
Natasha was walking to her daughter's bedside when Ana told her the baby's name, and the stutter in her step didn't go unnoticed.  
"Ana-" Natasha started.  
"Just, let me explain. Please?"  
Natasha sighed as she lowered herself onto the bed beside Ana. "Alright."  
"I know that your childhood wasn't great. It was practically nonexistent. But that's part of the reason we decided on this name. She'll have everything you never did."  
"Ana-"  
"I'm not done yet. She'll get to do everything you never did. She'll be allowed to run around and play outside. She'll be allowed to discover the beauty in the world, rather than be shown the cruelty. She'll get the childhood you never did."  
"I still don't see why you had to give her that name. She doesn't need that."  
"Maybe not, but you do. You need to be reminded that under the right circumstances, childhood is a wonderful thing. Our childhood was great, how could it not have been. But you and Papa were constantly worried about making mistakes. So now, you can experience her childhood and all the beauty that comes from it, without having to worry about being the ones to screw her up."  
Natasha sighed. "I appreciate what you think you're doing, Ana. But I still don't think this was necessary."  
"All I can say is that she's you. From the moment I first felt her kicking around, I knew she'd be just like you. She'll have all the wonderful parts of the childhood you had before it was taken from you. I can tell she'll be feisty and headstrong, and every other wonderful thing about you. And she'll be innocent and carefree, because she'll be allowed to."  
"And what happens when she wants to know about her family's past? What happens then?"  
"I won't lie to her. You never lied to us, and she deserves the same. So she'll know. I'll tell her my stories, Kyle will tell his, and you and Papa will tell your own. That way you can decide what she knows about you. But she'll love you, so she won't care what you've done, just like I don't care."  
Natasha sighed. She knew she wasn't going to get Ana to change her mind, and a part of her was glad that her daughter loved her enough to name her first child after her. "Alright then. Are you going to let me hold her or what?"  
Ana smiled and held her daughter out. Natasha took the baby with a smile, which grew when Natalia started fussing and peeked her eyes open, revealing a deep green so similar to Ana and Natasha's eyes.  
"Hi there, pretty girl." Natasha cooed. "You're such a pretty little thing, Talia."  
Ana smiled as she watched her mother interact with her daughter, and when Kyle walked in with Clint, her smile grew as she watched her father start fussing over the baby, going so far as to almost fight over Talia with Natasha.  
"Hey. You two knock it out. Besides, it's my turn to hold her." Alekz said form the door.  
Ana rolled her eyes at her sister before taking her baby back and bidding her parents farewell so that the rest of the team could come in and visit before visiting hours ended.

By the time the Avengers and their families had all come through, Natalia was asleep and Ana was exhausted. Kyle expertly took the baby from her arms and laid her in the cot next to Ana's bedside, whispering for her to get some sleep. While she complied, Kyle wheeled the cot over to the chair in the corner and watched his daughter sleeping, before he decided that she was too far away. So he reached in and gently pulled her into his arms, making sure not to wake her. When he had her in his arms, he situated her so that her head was supported and that if Kyle should fall asleep, there was no chance of her falling.  
When Ana woke a few hours later, she caught sight of the two of them in the chair, both sleeping soundly, and didn't even try to hide the smile that crossed her face.  
She knew getting back into shape to go back to work would be hell, but she didn't care. She had her baby now, what else really mattered?

* * *

**I finally finished another chapter for this. I'm sorry if it seems so weird, but I had to stop writing a couple times, just because it felt funny writing this again. But I did my best to push through it, and hopefully you like it, and hopefully the next chapter will be up soon, and will be better than this.  
Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**


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